Alaska Sealife Center
Seward, Alaska
Whether cold, rainy, windy,
sunny, or no matter what the weather, it’s always a good time to visit the
Alaska Sealife Center. Yesterday, a friend and I took one such break from the
chilly temperatures and blustery wind.
Aku the baby walrus was gone,
having flown by cargo jet the previous day to Sea World Orlando in Florida. He
had arrived safely, and that was all the staff knew. His outdoor pool looked
very empty without him clowning around with his yellow hardhat, buoys, and
black raft.
Staff announced a training
for the Steller sea lions. We hustled over to their habitat in time to see two
sea lions following the trainer and fish pail to their behind-the-scenes
hangout. The trainer re-emerged with a replenished pail of dead fish, flung
them into the water and onto the rocks, then retreated. Suddenly, Pilot, the massive, 8 year-old male Steller sea lion, burst onto the scene with a roar. He headed directly to the pile of
fish on the rocks and started chowing down.
A CROW and a RAVEN invited
themselves to dinner, perching attentively nearby, bibs tucked under their
chins. The Crow dashed in, grabbed a chunk and flew off, but the more wary
Raven waited.
The sea lion started tossing fish
high in the air, expertly catching and swallowing one after the other. It was
quite a show! Raven meanwhile, walked across the rocks just out of reach, each eyeballing
the other. While the sea lion was busy reaching for yet another flung fish, the
Raven made his move and dashed in and out. The sea lion lunged after him, but
too late; another fish chunk was missing and the clever Raven chuckled. I think
they’ve danced this tango before.
When that pile was gone,
Pilot dove into the pool with a magnificent splash that sent small seiche waves
rocketing across the pool. He dove to the bottom then surfaced, violently shook
the larger fish into bits with gusto, and swallowed the smaller ones whole. Down and up,
snorting and splashing with evident enjoyment until every fish was eaten.
We thought the show was over
and wandered off to check the seabird habitat and other exhibits. When we
arrived downstairs, Pilot was suspended upside down, intently watching a young
lady seated cross-legged on the floor in front of him, arms outstretched. He
arced around almost in a circle, following her hands, curling around, then shot
up for air, and dashed back again. What a graceful, fluid giant! When tired
with that, he disappeared out of the water. Was the show over? No! The best was
yet to come!
After checking out the
octopus, I glanced over to see Pilot playing with a new toy. An enrichment
object? Yes, but certainly not one provided by staff. It was a rock or flat
chunk of concrete just the right size, weight, and shape to balance on his
nose, carry to the surface, slide down his side, chase as it descended in a
fluttery flight, tuck under a flipper, flip from one flipper to the other like
a magician, hold in his mouth, and generally have a grand time. What a
performance! A small crowd gathered to exclaim, take photos and videos, and
marvel at his agility, playfulness, and creativity.
After about 40 minutes of
this entertaining performance, I heard a staff person behind us radio to the
mammal department, “Someone take away that rock before he writes his name on
the glass!” Sure enough, wherever Pilot pressed the rock against the glass
there were definite scratches. Suddenly Pilot abandoned his beloved toy and
shot to the surface where, I assume, he followed a shiny pail full of fish out
of the habitat. End of game!
Happy ASLC!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report
Reporter
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