Whales, Otters & Eagle Chicks: 24 Hours in Alaska | Alaska 🌎 🇺🇸 | Wild Travel | Robert E Fuller

Alaska has got to be one of the most incredible places to watch wildlife. In just 24 hours, I spot humpback whales, bald eagles and sea otters.

TRAVEL LIKE ME
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If you'd like to follow in my footsteps and see otters, whales and eagles for yourself, take a look at my travel page - where you can find my itinerary and book a similar trip to Alaska: https://www.robertefuller.com/travel/

Or, follow this playlist and journey with me through Alaska to see more extraordinary animal sightings:    • Alaska 🌎🇺🇸 | Wild Travel | Robert E F...   And watch more of my travel adventures here:    • Wild Travel 🌍🏞️ | Robert E Fuller  

ABOUT THIS FILM
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Kachemak Bay

My guide, Joe Chmeleck, who owns The Lodge at Otter Cover https://lodgeottercove.com/ was confident that in just one day I would see plenty. I didn't want to waste a minute, so Joe and I set off from Kachemak Bay State Park at 4.30am to look first for bald eagles.

Bald eagles

Bald eagles roost together in large numbers, and Tutka Bay Lagoon is a perfect place for a communal eagle roost. It's sheltered from the wind and teeming with pink salmon for these huge birds to feast on. As we approach, their white heads spot the dark forest.

Eagle juveniles

The juveniles are interesting to see as they don't have the characteristic white feathers on their heads which grow when they are about 3 and a half years old.

Eagle eyrie

I really want to see bald eagle chicks so we sail on to a nest, known as an eyrie. The chicks here are 8-10 weeks old. Eagles share the care of their chicks, with the female on nest duty and the male providing food. Interestingly, we watched this male bring in moss. Bald eagles use the same nest year after year and simply top it up with comforts.

Sea otters

After enjoying the eagles, we headed back to Otter Cove to see for sea otters. Sea otters are mustelids, part of the weasel family, and group together in the water in 'rafts'. We see 10 together in one raft, but some can have as many as a thousand. Rafts are usually all one sex, and with pups here, this is a group of females.

Sea otter pups

In Alaska pups are typically born in late spring, so these are only a few months old. Their mums nurse them on high-fat milk, and carry them on their chests to protect them from the cold water.

Sea otter skills

Sea otters eat a range of fish, molluscs, and crustaceans and are one of a few species that use tools. Watch as one uses a rock to crack open the shells of crabs, snails and shellfish. They keep this rock in a fold under their armpit, so they don’t lose it.

Humpback whales

As we head back out to sea, there’s one more species to see. Gulls circling above the water are a sign there are whales hunting for fish beneath. And sure enough a whale breaches, using its powerful tail fin to launch out of the water. Whales need to breath air, resurfacing every few minutes and so once you've spotted one you can follow it. When they travel at speed, they stay close to the surface to breathe more easily. This is known as porpoising.

Breaching humpbacks

Humpbacks can be seventeen metres long and weigh up to 30 tonnes. Research suggests the slap of water they make when they breach could be a ‘social sound’, helping groups communicate over long distances.

ABOUT ME
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I am a British wildlife artist and filmmaker on a mission to share my love for wildlife with the world. As well as creating detailed animal film and art portraits, I promote wildlife tours around the world and do all I can to help conserve and protect wildlife here at my home in Yorkshire. I hope that by putting nature in the frame I can foster a deep love for wildlife amongst my followers.

You can support my work by donating here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s... or joining one of my supporter communities: https://www.robertefuller.com/support...

You may like to purchase my artwork which you can find on my website: https://www.robertefuller.com. Many of my paintings are portraits of the wonderful characters you watch here!

You can also follow me on these platforms:
Website: https://www.robertefuller.com
Facebook:   / robertefullerart  
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CHAPTERS
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00:00 24 Hours In Alaska
00:41 Searching For Bald Eagles
01:06 Bald Eagle Roost
02:54 Bald Eagle Nest
04:49 "Otter" Cove
05:30 Otter Rafts
06:56 Sea Otter Tools
07:59 Whale Spotting
08:31 Humpback Whales
09:05 Whales Breaching
11:37 End

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© Robert E Fuller

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