Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are carnivorous mammals that inhabit marine areas. They can live up to 23 years in the wild and grow to be around four feet long and 65 pounds. Sea otters are members of the weasel family but they spend most of their time in the water, only occasionally coming onto the land to sleep or rest. They have many features which allow them to be in cold waters for long periods of time such as webbed feet, water-repellent fur, and nostrils/ears which close when they enter the water. These features allow them to take-up the position that they are most often seen in, floating on their backs in the water. Sea otters often float in large groups or above kelp forests which they can tangle themselves in. This is so that they don’t float off and can sleep in the water but stay safe.

Sea otter diet consists of a variety of sea life like squid and fish but mostly of clams and muscles. They break through the hard shells by floating on their backs and placing rocks on their chests which they smash the shells against until they break open. Here’s a good video of an otter trying to break a clam open.

An unusual and unique thing that sea otters do is give birth in the water. Sea otter mothers raise their children in the water too, they keep them on their chests as they float around and teach them how to swim and hunt at a young age. Baby sea otters don’t have the heavy, water-proof coat at birth that older sea otters do so their mothers keep them above water and fluff their coats up by blowing into them to ensure that they stay warm and dry.

Sea otters value their coats and constantly clean them by bathing in the ocean and using their paws. Sea otters have no insulating layer of fat so instead they have underfur which traps air to keep them warm.

Fun Fact: Sea otters have the densest fur of any animal on Earth. For more, click here!

Sea otters were hunted for their fur and almost went extinct. There were only around 1,500 sea otters left by the early 2000s. Today, sea otters are protected by laws in attempt to help them repopulate. They are a keystone species in their environment because they help keep a balance. For example, sea otters eat sea urchins which keeps the sea urchins from eating the kelp forests which are important parts of the ecosystem. Not many people know that sea otters are endangered because they are seen so often in zoos, on the internet, and in nature documentaries. It’s important to be aware that even the most publicized animals can be in danger. Like with the animals in the previous posts, you can adopt a sea otter at the World Wildlife Fund.

“Sea Otter.” National Geographic, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/s/sea-otter

Leibowitz, Elissa. “Ten Facts About Sea Otters.” World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/blogs/good-nature-travel/posts/ten-facts-about-sea-otters.

“The Effort To Re Introduce Sea Otters To Southern California.” Mountain and Sea Adventures, mountainandsea.org/the-effort-to-re-introduce-sea-otters-to-southern-california/.