Sitka has always been home to charismatic megafauna like humpbacks and Steller’s sea lions, but over the past few years, a new marine all-star has emerged.
Is That Steller Sea Lion in Distress? Waving? Or Is It .Thermoregulation?
Tuesday PM (SitNews) - Imagine that you are enjoying a wonderful day along Alaska’s rocky shores when suddenly you see something strange in the water. Is that an orca? You look through your binoculars and realize it is a Steller sea lion. You see its flipper in the air, and it only surfaces its head to breathe once in a while. Is it sick or injured? Or is this normal behavior?
NOAA Fisheries/Kim Raum-Suryan
NOAA Fisheries often receives reports of Steller sea lions exhibiting this behavior from concerned citizens who think the sea lion may be in distress.