In a message dated 97-02-06 00:47:19 EST, you write:

<< Mary, a group of birders with the Anchorage Audubon Society, on a winter
field
trip to Seward (Alaska) witnessed a sea otter catching and partially
consuming a
Common Murre. Yucko! It rolled right up under it and clasped the murre to
its
chest, then tried to bite its head off. When this failed, it bit a big chunk
out
of the breast and discarded the rest of the bird. Probably spat feathers for
a
good while thereafter.
>>
Yuck is right! Thanks for the anecdote. I'm thinking, after all this
discusion, that what I saw was probably a river otter. Hopefully the
animal will return so I can verify the point.