Sea Otter

Ah, a costal location makes perfect sense. There were probably at least one more in the area. I learned about them from the Georgia Aquarium. They are breeding them since they are endangered species and have a habitat that will train them to do the things they need in the wild (as I recall, but I might be wrong on the captive born & wild released). They also will give temporary homes to oil spill or injured wild ones if need be and they have space. I'm jealous of your wild spotting. Perhaps you can get a few second video of them, if you see them tomorrow.

Was the spotting in the interior of Alaska? Or along the coast some place? If this is a sea otter, they are the body size of a large cat if you don't include their huge tails. The behavior is cool too...they dive and pick up oysters and mollusks and stuff from the bottom, bring it up and float on their backs to eat it. They also roll and fluff their fur to keep air between them and the water/air which is usually colder.