Animal Guide

Southern Sea Otter

13 destinations · 10 states

Native Range: Central and southern California coast

A Southern Sea Otter can turn a quiet stretch of water into a busy little stage. Watch one for a few minutes and you'll likely see it grooming, diving, rolling onto its back, or floating with its paws resting on its chest. That relaxed pose is part of what makes them so enjoyable to observe, but there's plenty going on beneath the surface. Sea otters have incredibly dense fur and rely on grooming to keep it clean and effective at trapping warmth. They also use rocks as tools, cracking open shellfish while floating on their backs. At an aquarium, feeding time can reveal just how skillful those paws are as an otter handles food with surprising precision. You may also spot an otter wrapping itself in kelp to avoid drifting away while resting. Southern Sea Otters live along California's coast, where their presence is closely tied to healthy nearshore ecosystems and kelp forests.

Southern Sea Otter

Where to see Southern Sea Otter

13 destinations across 10 states

13 destinations

Aquarium of the Pacific

Long Beach, CA

Audubon Aquarium

New Orleans, LA

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Cincinnati, OH

Detroit Zoo

Royal Oak, MI

Georgia Aquarium

Atlanta, GA

Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium

Kansas City, MO

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey, CA

New York Aquarium

Brooklyn, NY

Oregon Coast Aquarium

Newport, OR

Oregon Zoo

Portland, OR

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

Tacoma, WA

SeaWorld San Diego

San Diego, CA

Shedd Aquarium

Chicago, IL

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