Aquarium of the Pacific Pairs Orphaned Sea Otter Pup With Surrogate Mom

Many aquariums pair orphaned sea otter pups with surrogate moms in an attempt to teach the pups what they need to know to be released back into the wild. Aquarium of the Pacific made a big announcement on Thursday, April 11th about a first that happened for them, and it's great news for sea otter conservation.

The aquarium announced that for the first time in its history, they were able to pair a releasable rescued sea otter pup with a surrogate otter mom. The pup was rescued off the coast of Santa Cruz County in Northern California. Mom will teach the pup how to forage for food, groom its fur, and how to survive in frigid waters.

This is huge news for sea otter conservation efforts! Aquarium of the Pacific's Brett Long, senior director of birds and mammals, said, "We are thrilled to be able to further help this threatened species recover by expanding our conservation programs to now help stranded sea otter pups get a second chance at returning to the wild.” Commenters and fans of the aquarium were happy to hear the news. @angie isme said, "Love this program! Congrats on your first pup to be fostered!" and @Malinda added, "Congrats to the temporary addition. This is exciting!!!!!"

Related: Video of Sea Otter and Her Baby Cuddling in the Harbor Is the Definition of Sweetness

Fun Facts About Sea Otters

It's pretty safe to say that we all think sea otters are adorable (have you seen them make otter biscuits?!), and many people compare them to dogs. Other than thinking that they're super cute, I really didn't know much about them, so I headed to World Wildlife Fund to learn more about them.

Did you know that sea otters can live their entire lives without leaving the water? That fact blew my mind! They are the smallest marine mammal, and don't have blubber to keep them warm. Because of this, they actually have the densest fur of any animal on earth... "an estimated 1 million hairs per square inch". They groom constantly, because when their fur gets dirty it affects how warm they are. Also to help them keep warm, they have to eat 20 - 40% of their body weight every day, so they spend a lot of time looking for food.

Interestingly, sea otters are one of the only animals that uses a tool to feed. They often use rocks to help them open the shells of things like clams and oysters and will even flip rocks over to find food beneath them. They not only catch fish with their mouths but can use their paws as well.

Here was my favorite fact that I learned: In order not to lose each other by drifting away in the water while they sleep, sea otters hold each other's paws! How adorable is that!

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