Alaska SeaLife Center

Alaska’s only public aquarium and ocean wildlife rescue center is located in Seward on the shores of Resurrection Bay. We had encounters with puffins (pictured below), ducks, and Skittle, an orphaned sea otter, that stole our hearts.

Skittle was rescued on March 16th after members of Seldovia Village Tribe found him abandoned and half frozen to a float plane dock. After six weeks of round-the-clock care by Alaska SeaLife Center’s Rescue and Rehabilitation staff, he has more than doubled his weight (from 13 to 30 pounds) and done very well in captivity. He now eats solid food such as squid and clams, and can effectively groom the thick coat of fur that keeps him warm and dry in frigid water.

Unlike most seals and seabirds that are returned to the wild after rehabilitation, sea otter pups demand so much hands-on care that they become attached to humans and are considered non-releasable. As soon as Skittle arrived at the Center, efforts began to find him a permanent home at a zoo or aquarium with a sea otter exhibit, and he is now scheduled to move to the New York Aquarium on Coney Island sometime in June.

I hope when we visit New York we can visit Skittle in his new home!