Sea otter
Did you know?
Enhydra lutris
Otters love to play and are extremely dexterous – they can use their paws to open clam shells and explore objects.
Come sea otters!
Habitat
Wild and Zoo
Sea otters live in rocky coastal areas in shallow waters off Alaska, the Aleutian and Commander Islands, Vancouver Island, Washington and California. Find our otters at Rocky Shores.
Rocky Shores
Meet our otters
Moea
Clara
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Eating
(and predators!)
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Sea otters eat all kinds of seafood. But by eating sea urchins, they’re vital to protecting kelp forests that would otherwise be consumed by urchins.
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Their main predators are sharks, orcas, eagles, coyotes and humans.
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All wrapped up
in kelp.
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After a 6-month pregnancy, females give birth to one pup every other year.
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They will care for the pup from 6-9 months, wrapping it in kelp to keep it from drifting away.
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Grooming
(it's furry hard work)
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Sea otters are very social! They live in groups of up to 100 (called “rafts”), in which males and females mostly live separately.
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Otters spend their day resting, searching for food or grooming their fur to keep it waterproof – it is the densest fur of any mammal, with up to 1 million hairs per square inch.
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Protecting sea otters
I need my fur!
THE THREAT: Sea otters are endangered, having been hunted nearly to extinction for their thick fur. Now protected, they are still at great risk from oil spills and parasites that reach the ocean via storm drains.
TAKE ACTION: Protect all sea animals by supporting clean energy, choosing sustainable seafood and reducing the amount of plastic you use.
Marine Stories
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