Play: This behind-thescenes tour at the Monterey Bay Aquarium is otterly adorable.
CUTE ALERT! Go behind the scenes with sea otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Iridescent 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 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 their fur, once highly prized for Siberian coats, the otter population has made a serious comeback largely because of the aquarium’s groundbreaking rescue operation. The first of its kind, the program has saved 800 pups since 1984. There are now almost 3,186 otters in the wild, and at least half of the otters that congregate at Monterey’s Elkhorn Slough are direct descendants of this program.
While some female otters aren’t interested in childrearing, others instantly bond with a new baby in their midst. They teach them how to swim and dive and open clams. They even give the little fur babies a ride on their stomachs, otter Uber style. A group of otters, entwined as they surf the waves, is called a raft.
The otters here are either on exhibit, scampering about for the public, or in the background teaching rescued pups how to survive in the wild. Otter pups must be raised for at least a year, before heading out to the deep blue sea on their own.
On this behind-thescenes tour, you’ll become acquainted with otters like Rosa, a single parent trying to rear a new pup found stranded on the beach, wounded and alone;
he was orphaned by a shark attack. Now dubbed Otter 808, he is a feisty little guy, healing nicely and learning the ropes of kelp life from his surrogate mom.
For the record, you are not allowed to stroke their rich, velvety fur or feed
them treats at any point in the tour, which my 7-yearold found quite crushing. But you get to check out their private rooftop habitats through video monitors.
Afterward, you can wander through the rest of the
aquarium’s illuminating ocean exhibits, from the heart-pounding fun of the Wave Crash gallery, which pumps 600 gallons of water every 30 seconds, to the dapper little penguins toddling about.
Before you leave this mesmerizing
window to marine life, be sure to spend some time on the back deck, where the sheltered waters of the aquarium meet the open ocean.
Every once in a while, you may even see a wild otter mother giving birth to
her young pup atop one of the rocky outcroppings. It’s a showstopper even for a casual observer. If you are an otter lover, it’s unforgettable.