Where does the sea otter live?

Sea otters are found in the Pacific Ocean in North America, Asia, and East Russia. They live in coastal areas like bays, fjords, rocky shores, and kelp forests to find food.

Where do sea otters live in North America?

Sea otters live along the coasts of Canada and Alaska. In addition, sea otters can be found as far north as the Rocky Mountains and south to California’s Channel Islands.
These beautiful creatures can dive to depths of 300 meters (980 feet) and spend more than three minutes underwater. They usually stay close to shore, though, where it is not too deep, to reach air if needed.

Their short, thick fur is waterproof and keeps them warm in cold water. The paws are webbed and have strong claws for holding things (like clams) while swimming and diving for food.
The sea otter eats any shellfish: mussels, clams, crabs, abalone, and snails. It uses its teeth like a nutcracker to crack shells open. They also prey on salmon, octopus, squid, perch, and stingrays.
Sea otters eat on average 15% of their body weight every day!

Some otters spend their winters resting on land. As a result, they don’t need to eat during the winter to lose up to 20% of their body weight over the cold months.

Sea otters are social animals that swim together in groups called rafts. Rafts are made when several otters get into the water and float near each other with only their heads poking out. This helps them keep warm, helps adults play with pups, and reduces energy costs for swimming.
Young otters stay close to their parents for two years or more to learn how to catch food before going off on their own.

They play by chasing each other through the ocean and wrestling using paws and teeth. These playful behaviors help young pups learn to fight off threats from predators like sharks. Sea otter pups are born in the water, so they must learn how to swim very fast. The babies can spend up to 20 minutes underwater and dive down as deep as 10 meters (30 feet) before they can even see yet!
A sea otter will sleep up to 20 hours a day in floating kelp beds or tucked away in small caves or crevices on rocks. They love sunlight and never want to be too far from the surface of the water!
Sea otters live in large groups called “rafts.” A raft is made up of ten or more otters that float together on top of the water.

Sea otters are a protected species in some places because there used to be fewer than 2,000 left in the whole world! Sea otters are now protected, and about 30,000 sea otters live along the western coasts of North America. The biggest threats these beautiful creatures face today are pollution and fishing nets.
Sea otters have no natural enemies except humans because people hunted them for their thick, soft fur, which was very popular until laws banned killing them.

Are Sea otters dangerous?

Sea otters are not dangerous at all. Unless you’re a fish or a clam, they don’t eat humans! You shouldn’t touch a wild otter, though.

Sea Otter Facts

· Scientists have found that sea otters hold hands, so they do not drift apart while sleeping, floating on the surface of the water!

· Sea otters are famous for holding hands when they sleep, so they don’t float away from each other.

· The oldest sea otter lived to be 26 years old in captivity. Sea otters live about 10-12 years old in the wild, but some sea otters can live up to 20 years!

· An adult male weighs between 25 and 45 kilos (55-100 pounds).

· Their babies are the tiniest pups of all the land and sea mammals. A newborn otter weighs around three kilos (6 ½ pounds).

· The female sea otter gives birth to one baby every year. Sea otters have one of the longest pregnancies in mammals, almost a whole year long!

· Male sea otters share parenting duties with females by carrying their younger siblings on their chests when they are firstborn. All adult males and some female sea otters participate in this practice called “alloparenting.”

· During the 1980s, people saved sea otters from dying out by releasing them back into the wild after being captive over-hunted for their furs. Conservationists even flew some otters from Alaska to California to save this species.

· Sea otters live along the western coast of North America, starting near Alaska and ending down in southern California.

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