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Sea Otters are otterly amazing! They are a part of the weasel family, but unlike many of their relatives (ferrets, badgers, and minks…), they spend roughly 90% of their lives in water! And not just any water, the ocean!
Sea Otters have webbed feet, water-repellent fur, and even nostrils and ears that close when they are underwater! These are all physical features that help them navigate the waves of life.
If you’ve been to a zoo recently, you may have seen an otter in person! Gliding through the water, munching on a snack, or playing with a cube of ice! They love to play! But they do a lot more than play all day – in fact, they are aquatic environmentalists!
There are 13 otter species found around the world. If you thought there were only two before reading this, the Sea Otter and River Otter, you’re not alone! Though many of these species either live in the sea or in rivers, there are also otters that live in lakes, ponds, and marshes! But they all have something in common, a love for water!
So what are these 13 species of otters? Let’s break it down:
Some of these species are divided into subspecies as well. Even the Sea Otter! There are 3 subspecies of Sea Otters:
The notable difference that has been found between the subspecies is size. Northern Sea Otters are generally 20 to 30+ lbs. larger than Southern Sea Otters. If you think about the different environments they live in, this extra weight starts to make sense! I don’t know about you, but if I spent that much time in the ocean, around Alaska and Canada… I too would want a little extra weight to help keep me warm too!
Out of the 13 species of otters, and particularly the 3 subspecies of Sea Otters – let’s dive into understanding more about the Southern Sea Otters!
If you didn’t catch it before, Southern Sea Otters live along the coasts of California, USA. Which is a part of the Pacific Ocean. (Check out the tiny green spot highlighted on the map below!)
The ocean is BIG – vast open waters, deep caves, coral reefs and so much more! But Sea Otters have found a very special place to swim about, Kelp forests!
Kelp is a type of seaweed that can grow 175 feet from the ocean floor! To give you an idea of how tall that is, some of the trees in the Red Wood Forest are 200 to 240 feet tall! It’s like an underwater Green “Wood” forest! How cool!
These forests provide a safe haven and a great food source for animals like Sea Otters! Not only can it be a snack, but if waves in the ocean get too strong or if predators are nearby, Sea Otters will wrap themselves in the kelp to them together and hold tight!
You see, Sea Otters LOVE to be together, they are a very social species! They are often found floating on their backs, even holding paws. When they are found in large groups in this formation it’s called a raft.
When it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack time… Sea Otters have a funny way of eating!
They are what is called “opportunistic feeders”. At times they are carnivores and at other times they are omnivorous. Meaning they eat both animals and plants to sustain their adorable figure. This could be things like crabs, snails, urchins, clams, mussels, fish, kelp, and seaweed.
They use their unique flipper-like back legs to power them through the water in search of food, even reaching the seafloor! Once they find something to munch on, they will swim back to the surface, roll on their backs, and use their bellies like a table! And that isn’t even the best part!…
As if they were dining at a restaurant… when they are done eating, they request for leftovers to be wrapped up to for a later snack. How?! Well, you see under each of their forearms they have loose skin. This skin forms a pocket of sorts. It can hold all kinds of things, but the most important thing is their favorite rock. Otters use small rocks to help break through food that has a tough shell. Once they find a good rock, they do their best to keep it safe!
Southern Sea Otters can get up to 4 feet in length, with the females weighing up to 50 lbs. And the males up to 70 lbs.
Unlike other marine mammals, they have little fat, which might come as a surprise! How do they keep warm in the cold ocean temperatures? Instead of fat, they rely on their dense, water-resistant fur for insulation. Their insatiable hunger also helps keep them warm. Eating at least a quarter of their body weight in food each day!
Sea Otters make all sorts of sounds! Chirping, yelping, and growling, to name a few. Researchers have determined that Sea Otters make a total of 9 different categories of sounds. These sounds could be for a pup to call out for its mother, or happy sounds while eating. However, Sea Otters are not a very vocal species in general, they use more body language to communicate with each other.
You can hear some of their sounds in this video:
Sea Otters are a keystone species, meaning when something happens to them, that directly affects other plant and animal species living in that environment.
They keep the sea urchin population in check, if Sea Otters didn’t eat sea urchins, they would create areas called “urchin barrens” where no other species could live. With sea otters helping to keep the urchins under control, kelp forests can thrive and support a rich community of plants and animals!
You are the best! Thank you so much for sharing! ❤️