FAMILY ADVENTURES
Go behind the scenes with sea otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
ridescent jellyfish floating through azure water like wafting works of art. Swirling chains of silver sardines swimming in mesmerizing formations. A cheeky octopus that stares you right in the eyes, holding your gaze.
The wonders of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, Calif., are nearly endless but there is nothing more utterly adorable than the otters. The smallest marine mammal in North America, these puppies of the sea are often the star of the show, with crowds clamoring to watch them frolic amid the sea foam. Of course anyone who visits the aquarium can gawk as these cuties splash around their exhibit, playing tag with each other or chowing down at feeding time.
But if you are among those of us who have been sorely tempted to adopt one of these little critters and let it live in your bathtub, don’t miss the sea otter conservation tour, an insightful, hourlong, behind-the-scenes look at the aquarium’s otter conservation projects that’s perfect for those 6 and up.
“I like to think of them as the furry ambassadors of the ocean,” says Larry Sill, a longtime volunteer, as he gives an insider’s tour of otter central. “They are so lovable that they make people want to learn about the ocean.”
Indeed, the baby otters that the aquarium regularly rescues used to bond with humans so deeply that the workers actually started decking themselves out like Darth Vader, complete with a scary black helmet. That keeps the otters from getting too fond of people. This way the pups can retain their credentials when they are eventually set free into the wild.
A chatty and knowledgeable guide like Sill will regale you about the life cycle of the animals, who eat a quarter of their body weight a day. Lithe little acrobats, they constantly flip around in the water, but they manage to keep their flippers and nose out of the water most of the time. That’s why they often curl up and lie on their backs like sleeping kittens. They like to keep their tootsies dry.
Otters have been dubbed the grizzlies of the kelp, as fierce as they are fuzzy. Nearly hunted to extinction because of