We Heart Sea Otters
holding paws
Water life
Swimming, eating, sleeping
Sea otters spend the vast majority of their time in the water, swimming, foraging, and grooming their dense fur. They even sleep in the water, which gives them plenty of space to stretch out, but also makes them vulnerable to floating away on ocean currents.
First, wrap in kelp.
Then grab a friend.
Luckily, sea otters have a unique way to keep from getting lost while they doze. Living in kelp forests, otters wrap themselves in the kelp to hold them in place. Then, to keep track of their friends and family, they’ll hold paws with a buddy (rafting).
Fun facts
about otters.
- At Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, our three female sea otters are named Clara, Libby and Moea.
- You can spot them in Rocky Shores, hanging out together as they snack on crabs and groom their thick, warm fur. You may even see them hanging out in some unique kelp!
- For enrichment, we sometimes give them long soft strands of felt used in car washes, which replicate the tall stalks of kelp that make up the underwater forests where sea otters live!