Sea otter pup rescued near Port Hardy is growing quickly at aquarium, needs a name

Visit website to vote on three naming options

A sea otter pup that arrived at the Vancouver Aquarium’s rescue centre last month is growing quickly and needs a name.

The pup, estimated to be twoto four weeks old at the time, was found swimming alone near Port Hardy on Vancouver Island on June 25. Spotting no adult sea otter nearby, boaters collected the sea otter pup and brought it to shore before contacting officials.

The Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre made arrangements to take in the sea otter pup and provide it with the necessary care required in the first six months of its life.

Officials reminded the public that it is illegal to capture stranded or injured marine mammals and that the rescue centre should be contacted first.

An update shared this week said the pup is now between six to eight weeks old and weighs about four kilograms.

“He is still nursing from the bottle, eating 25 per cent of his body weight per day in a special otter pup formula made by our animal care team,” the update reads. “Just this week in addition to the bottle he started eating solid food; 5 grams of clams per feed. He loves his clams!”

The pup is also becoming adept at diving and retrieving items from the bottom of his swim tub, and remains under 24-hour care and feeds every three hours.

The aquarium is now seeking feedback on what to name the pup: Hardy, Kasa or Masik.

Hardy: The tiny male otter pup was found swimming alone off northern Vancouver Island, and was first taken to the District of Port Hardy for initial treatment.

Kasa: In Kwak’wala — the language of the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island — kasa is the word for sea otter.

Masik: Also in Kwak’wala, masi’kw is the word for large sea urchins.

The public is invited to vote at the Vancouver Aquarium’s website for the chance to win a four-pack of admissions to the aquarium and an Aquadopt kit.

You can vote online at vanaqua.org/experience/otter-namingcontest.

A sea otter pup found June 25 is growing rapidly under 24-hour care at the Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre. The aquarium is now seeking feedback on what to name the pup, which is between six and eight weeks old and weighs about four...