Freshwater seals of Iliamna Lake photographed

Freshwater Seals on Iliamna Lake, Alaska

It’s true!

Iliamna Lake is home to one of two known freshwater seal colonies in the world. The only other documented seals living in freshwater are in Lake Baikal, Russia.

Update: Since posting I’ve found reference to two other unique seals living in freshwater – Ladoga Seal and the Saimaa Ringed Seal. Commenters (see below) have also claimed there are many more instances of seals living in freshwater including a small colony in Lac des Loups Marins, Northern Quebec.

The photo above was taken on March 9th as I lay on the ice of Iliamna Lake with several friends, excited to finally be seeing with our own eyes these mysterious seals. To the locals living on the shores of Iliama Lake this photo will come as no surprise, the seals have been companions for generations.

Despite their long history of inhabiting Iliamna Lake, very little is known about these rare freshwater seals. Many people I’ve spoken with have heard of them but too many questions have gone unanswered. After discussing it for a couple years, several friends and I made an expedition to Iliamna Lake to document that the freshwater seals do in fact spend their winters there. It has been common knowledge that the seals live in the lake during the summer months, but many we spoke with assumed that as winter approached the seals swam back down the Kvichak River that drains Iliamna Lake into Bristol Bay.

Stay tuned for more photos and information about the freshwater seals of Iliamna Lake. This is just the beginning of our efforts to document these seals and their lives in the often icy waters of Iliamna Lake.

A few facts about Iliamna Lake: 1,000 sq mi (2,590 sq km), 75 mi (121 km) long and up to 22 mi (35 km) wide, SW Alaska, at the base of the Alaska Peninsula. It is fed by many lakes and streams; the Kvichak River drains it SW into Bristol Bay. The lake is an integral part of the largest remaining wild sockeye salmon runs in the world, it is also downstream from the site of the proposed pebble mine, which if developed would include the largest dam in the world to hold back the toxic waste created in the hard rock mining process.

Comments

28 responses to “Freshwater seals of Iliamna Lake photographed”

  1. Dan Dunaway Avatar
    Dan Dunaway

    For years I have hoped to see these seals. In the 70’s I worked for FRI and we were supposed to shoot one (I think – been a long time) for genetic samples if we ever came across one. We never saw one in the month I worked there. I’ve been around the lake some ever since but never spotted the seals. Cool – good work. Would be nice to get some genetic info as the Kvichak is so short it wouldn’t be much for seals to travel between the lake and Bristol Bay.

  2. Lindsey Bloom Avatar
    Lindsey Bloom

    Thanks for sharing your pics and encounter story. I look forward to more info on the seals and can’t wait to find out more about them. Keep the info coming!

  3. Scott Dickerson Avatar

    @ Dan – Interesting comment, some good science perspective from the past – “Shoot one if you see it” We were fortunate to find this group of about 15 seals with the help of the locals on our third day on the lake.

  4. Scott Dickerson Avatar

    I think these frewshwater seals will inevitably become a contentious subjects due to their close proximity to the proposed mining developments. There are real concerns for them and the local people who count on them as part of their subsistence lifestyle.

    Like so many other things, anything that is done concerning the seals will have to be a compromise. In the end it seems most important that we remember the fact that without clean water and abundent salmon runs these seals will not be able to survive in Iliamna Lake.

  5. Scott Dickerson Avatar

    @ Lindsey – Hi! nice to hear from you. I’m hoping to find support to put more efforts into photographing the freshwater seals this year. And we are also working on some genetic sampling with NMFS. It will be very interesting to find if the seals living in Iliamna Lake are actually genetically different from those in Bristol Bay.

    I’ll keep posting updates here.

  6. Scott Dickerson Avatar

    Since posting I’ve found reference to two other unique colonies of freshwater seals – Ladoga Seal and the Saimaa Ringed Seals.

  7. Ben Turpin Avatar

    In addition, a small (estimated to be less than 300 animals) and very rare population of land-locked freshwater seals inhabits Lac des Loups Marins, Northern Quebec.

  8. Robert Bruso Avatar
    Robert Bruso

    This will be my 38th summer in Pedro Bay on Lake Iliamna and have seen the seals frequently. As they look fat and healthy I wonder what they eat before and after the salmon run.

  9. Keith Avatar
    Keith

    Hey, I really want to see these seals and I was wondering if you had any tips or locations where they are regularily seen, if they are regularily seen that is. Also, if its possible could you could get me in touch with this Robert Bruso guy who says he has seen the seals frequently. I hope to be up there in July, if seasons matter at all for seal spotting. Thanks for any info that you can give me

  10. Scott Dickerson Avatar

    @ Robert – Thanks for your comment. I wonder the same thing about their food source. My first guess would be that they chase trout in the winter.

    @ Keith – The most reliable way to see one of these seals in July would probably be to spend some time flying around Iliamna in a float plane. The locals in Pedro Bay and Iliamna villages could also help I’m sure. I have heard of some low lying islands near the middle of the lake that the seals reportedly spend a lot of time on. As you have probably figured out, information is scarce on these seals. Best of luck.

  11. Keith Avatar
    Keith

    Thanks for the info Scott, is their any accommodation in Pedro Bay?

  12. Scott Dickerson Avatar

    @ Keith – You are welcome. Good question, not that I’m aware of but a good place to find out would likely be the village tribal council:

    Pedro Bay Village Council
    PO Box 47020, Pedro Bay, AK 99647
    Phone: (907) 850-2225
    Email: pedrobayvc@aol.com

  13. Dar the researcher Avatar
    Dar the researcher

    HI I have been investigating seals in freshwater lakes for many decades and you have very inaccurate information. There is hundreds of bodies of water across the world that have seals in them either year around or groups that go up in to these bodies of water. Many lakes in Russia, Sweden ,Canada USA and many more have seals in them or visit them on na frequent bases. Including some others officialy recognized that you have not listed such as off the top of my head the Lac de loupe seal. This species was known by locals for hundreds of years and natives and only recently has it been excepted by science. Seal species have been inhabiting many of Our north american lakes since they have been around. There use to be a seal endemic to lake Ont that they claim is extinct. yet sightings still occur. There are so many lakes world wide that have this phenomana and they are in many cases the bases of lake monster reports.

    1. Scott Dickerson Avatar

      Dar – Thanks for sharing. If you could provide a link to further information about other freshwater seal colonies I think it would be appreciated by others as well as myself.

  14. Dar the researcher Avatar
    Dar the researcher

    HI I was also wandering if any of you nice animal lovers like myself on this site would be kind enough to allow me to have a photo of the Lake Illimana seal that I could use royality free. I would be most happy if I could use a photo from there of a seal in some of my articles etc. I only have drawings of this species and not a actual photo and I would give who ever took the photo credit in the article. Please email me a photo to use and spell out in the email that you are giving me the rights to use it. Thank you to any nice soul willing to help me.

  15. Carol Chesney Avatar
    Carol Chesney

    I believe I spotted a Seal on an ice flow by the shore of Big Tub Harbour Georgian Bay in Tobermory at 0800 on April 2 2009. It did not repond to my dog barking at it but it slid into the water as I appraoched it. The Ice in the Harbour was intact but open to the Lake. I checked the next day and did not see it again. I believe it to be about 45 lbs the same as my dog with large whiskers and flippers and grey and brownish colour.

  16. Ron Aaberg Avatar

    We see the seal quite often, and I believe they live under the ice all winter. You hear stories
    of the old timers going out on very thin ice when the lake first freezes in December or January to spear them at their breathing holes they have to keep open till the lake drops enough to create air spaces. From about September to May the lake is steadily dropping (like a tide slowly ebbing) this leaves an air space and caverns under the ice around the islands and reefs lake level drops which gives them
    air and a place to haul out. I’ve heard them breathing several times in these areas.
    They grow to a very large size.
    Should be a simple matter to put a radio collar on one or two and see just where they do go.
    Ron
    Pedro Bay, Alaska (since 1967)

    1. Scott Dickerson Avatar

      Hi Ron, I appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge about the freshwater seals in Lake Iliamna, that’s pretty interesting about them living under the ice in the winter.

  17. Garrette anelon Avatar
    Garrette anelon

    hello i am from the village of iliamna and we go out boating all the time and see them most of the time. there is a pretty big population. My brother Gerald and i have given samples for dna to the fish and game trooper to send out but we havent got anything back about them. seeing the fresh water seals is no big deal to us we use their furs for hats and mittens which are really warm and waterproof. Right now they have pups that are about a few weeks old now and we always go out riding to see them. i know where they mostly hang out at there are a bunch of islands that they sit and sun bath. my e-mail is garrette_anelon@hotmail.com if you want to contact me about them

    Garrette Anelon
    iliamna

    1. Scott Dickerson Avatar

      Hi Garrette, thanks for the info and offer for help in finding the seals.

  18. Tom Kovaleski Avatar
    Tom Kovaleski

    I also have spent time on Lake Iliamna since 1984 and frequently see the seals on the islands just outside of Intricate Bay sunning themselves. On nice summer days we frequently go flying my seaplane just to try to see them. They are an amazing part of the wonderful world of Lake Iliamna!

  19. vinny Avatar
    vinny

    i whent to this lake in july 2009 and saw 3-4 differnt seals at different parts of the lake so they are very active in the summer months

  20. Ralph Risch Avatar

    Lake Champlain, between New York and Vermont and with a little chunk in Quebec, used to have colonies of seals in historic times. These were, unfortunately, exterpated in teh 1800’s.

  21. Ray Wassillie Avatar
    Ray Wassillie

    Hello everyone my name is Ray Wassillie and I live in the small village called Newhalen right on the Newhalen River that flows into Lake Iliamna. For many years I wanted to do a study on the seals and I would also like any kind of information on the seals because I am doing a Biology paper on them. I rely on subsistence a lot and I usually do catch a seal before ice break up and give the fat to the village residents that have no one to hunt for them.. Thanks you all for you time and hope to get some information..

  22. Russman Avatar
    Russman

    I had the good fortune of seeing the seals on Lake Iliamna in the summer of 2005 while working in the Village of Kokhonak. on the float plane flight from Iliamna to the Village the pilot asked if i wanted to see the fresh water seals, I had never heard of such a thing and said sure. he made a low pass over the rocky island and there they were..very cool indeed. One of the high lights of a woderful experience of living and working in the Alaskan bush. I had only been in the state from California for about three weeks. Did I mention I won’t be moving back. If you can get to the Iliamna air field there is a number of pilots that would get you to the seals for a fair price…

  23. gustopher Avatar
    gustopher

    big fan of the old freshwater seals.
    good bunch of guys.
    goats and that

  24. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    I see seals on the Copper River between Chitina and Cordova every time we float this river. This is at least 60 miles from the ocean. Miles Lake, just above the Million Dollar Bridge, has an especially large population. I have seen them on other rivers in Alaska as well, but I can’t recall which ones. Maybe the Kuskokwim.

  25. Dillingham Avatar
    Dillingham

    There was at least 1 on lake Aleknagik this past summer and was still there on my last trip in October. I have pictures and even video. Dark head, mostly white body.