How Did The Deer Get To The Other Side?

They swam!  Several years ago when fishing for salmon off the coast of Alaska near Sitka, our group spotted two deer swimming across the strait between the mainland and a nearby island.  Our boat captain, on that horribly stormy and bitterly cold July day, explained that this was not an uncommon occurrence for deer in that part of Alaska.  He indicated there was no cause for alarm or even need for concern for the creatures. 

I hadn't thought about this deer spotting for years until, during a dinner conversation with a friend talking about odd animal behaviors, I remembered this deer encounter.  Upon telling the story, he thought it rather odd, but again reiterating what the boat captain had said, we decided it must not be odd behavior for a Sitka deer at all.

However, two days later he sent to me a link about deer from the same area of Alaska trying desperately to cross frigid Alaskan waters only to be rescued by a boat captain and taken ashore.  You can read the story by clicking on this link -- Swimming Alaskan Deer.

Was this the same deer family I had seen?  Another amazing wildlife story!