Latest Alaska SeaLife Center Stories

A baby male beluga whale, discovered by a pair of Alaskan fishermen after it got separated from its mother shortly after its birth, remains under 24-hour care as marine mammal specialists from throughout the country continue to help nurse the newborn back to health. Staff members at the Alaska SeaLife Center research and rehabilitation center in Seward, Alaska -- where the calf is currently recovering -- told Mark Thiessen of the Associated Press (AP) that the whale is doing well....

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The California State Legislature unanimously approved a resolution officially proclaiming the last week in September as Sea Otter Awareness Week throughout California. "Sea Otter Awareness Week is about informing people of the threats that sea otters still face every day and about what concerned citizens can do to help sea otters make a thriving comeback," said Jim Curland, marine program associate for Defenders of Wildlife. "Education is...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Maybe it was the private room with soft moss for nesting, or the duck penthouse about 8 inches off the ground to simulate the raised ridges upon which Steller's eiders like to breed in arctic Alaska, or the older guy who had done some living on the wild side. Whatever it was, this girl got busy.She laid a whopping 23 eggs in two clutches, proving that Steller's eiders can successfully be bred in captivity."She laid quite a few more eggs than expected," said...

JUNEAU, Alaska -- Wallowing and snorting as they jockey for position on the rocks, the two-ton walruses may not be the prettiest of Internet reality show stars. But two cameras installed at the Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary off Alaska's southwest coast are giving scientists and Web surfers alike the chance to follow the drama of the Bering Sea mammals' everyday lives. The Alaska Department of Fish & Game has installed the "walrus cams" on Round Island in the Bering Sea,...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Word spread fast in the northwest Alaska village of Kivalina: a baby walrus was sitting on the beach, alone, apparently abandoned. By the time James Booth reached the site, villagers had surrounded the tiny whiskered mammal. Conrad Koenig was feeding it store-bought milk from a baby bottle as one by one, everyone had a chance to pet the pup, which took frequent breaks from its meal to bark at the crowd. "It's the first time something happened like this that I know...

ANCHORAGE (AP) -- Aurora - with all eight of her arms - held tight to her dream of motherhood. The aging Giant Pacific octopus, a resident of the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, embraced her maternal instinct and was rewarded this week as her eggs finally began hatching. The first of thousands have burst out into pearly white, tear-shaped babies with huge eyes and stubby appendages. "Every so often, not at great speed," said center spokesman Jason Wettstein. As of Wednesday, there...