The Sea Mammal Connection

The stable isotope evidence from Shuká Káa’s bones is consistent with a diet that included not only salmon but also marine mammals — the seals, sea otters, Stellar sea lions, and porpoises that are abundant in the waters of the Alexander Archipelago.

Marine mammals are, from a nutritional perspective, enormously valuable prey items.

Their bodies provide high-caloric, high-protein food in a form that can be processed and preserved in multiple ways.

Their fat — blubber in the case of pinnipeds and whales — is a concentrated source of calories that is particularly important in cold climates where metabolic demands for warmth are high.