#stellarsealions

...and the wildlife..😍🐋🦅🌲🗻🛥...✨ #orcas #humpbackwhales #baldeagles #harborseals #stellarsealions #seaotters #puffins #dallsporpoise #kenaifjordsnp #sewardalaska #npcruise #sograteful #ftmtraveler (at Kenai Fjords National Park)

Credit © 🎞 ✅ @pnwprotectors 🖋 A curious colony of Stellar Sea lions watch carefully from their haul out...⁣ ⁣ Did you know: ⁣ ⁣ Reductions in pinniped populations negatively impacts Bigg’s Orcas and their recent resurgence is directly correlated to the number of seals and sea lions. ⁣ ⁣ Harbour Seals compose 52% of Bigg’s Killer Whales’ diet, and Steller Sea Lions compose 13%. These two species alone make up 65% of the prey consumed by these orcas. ⁣ ⁣ Seals and sea lions are opportunistic predators that feed on other fish species, including Hake and Pacific Herring.⁣ ⁣ Hake feed on juvenile salmon. A reduction in the number of pinnipeds could lead to an increase in the number of Hake, and fewer salmon. ⁣ ⁣ Pacific Herring compete with juvenile salmon. A reduction in the number of pinnipeds could lead to an increase in this salmon predator at salmon at a critical stage of their development. ⁣ ⁣ More prey = more Transients⁣ In the 1970s and 1980s, populations of prey species along the west coast of North America were low and as a result Bigg’s were very uncommon in coastal waters. Seal and sea lion populations were heavily decimated from culls that ended in 1970 .⁣ ⁣ In the 1990s, pinniped populations rebounded and with healthy prey populations the Bigg’s orca population grew significantly. ⁣ ⁣ During the 20 years between 1990 and 2010 the known coastal population more than doubled from about 120 to 280 animals!⁣ ⁣ Pinniped facts via: ⁣ Jared Towers⁣ Marine Education Research Society ⁣ Dr. Lance Barret Lennard ⁣ ⁣ #stellarsealions⁣ #pinnipeds⁣ #biggsarethebalance https://www.instagram.com/p/CAfdFQYABh9/?igshid=1q355g2mjvs69

#wildalaska #alaskalife #captainlife #kellienightlinger #stellarsealions https://www.instagram.com/p/By_5YLVlGOj/?igshid=1ut2t9hkkda7l

#kellienightlinger #alaskalife #stellarsealions https://www.instagram.com/kellienightlinger/p/BxMH51LBO6j/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1y1lf7zl5pg3o

Moods. #stellarsealions #irelatetoallofthem (at Vancouver Aquarium) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo5av3IHEi7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=y03tbvkiei2y

#stellarsealions #justkeepswimming #wildlife #sealion #wildlifephotography #marinelife #alaska #kenaifjordsnationalpark #explorealaska #seward (at Seward, Alaska)