Sea otters are one of nature’s most fascinating creatures, beloved for their playful personalities and critical role in marine ecosystems. From their dense fur to their impressive tool use, these ...

Their fur is so soft it almost led to their extinction, but otters’ recovery has been a boon to Pacific kelp forests, a key habitat for other sealife Sea otters use their agile, grippy forepaws to ...

A sea otter floating above ribbons of kelp is undoubtedly one of nature’s cutest scenes. It’s well known that the marine mammals help make these sea surface ‘pillows’ more abundant, by eating the sea ...

From kelp forests to sea grass meadows, these charismatic predators are quietly holding parts of the coast together.

Southern sea otters living along California’s coast are struggling in warmer seas, with new threats and changing food sources. They, like the other two sea otter subspecies, are classified as ...

Did you know sea otters can eat a quarter of their body weight in food every day? That’s hundreds of sea urchins, clams, and crabs — all cracked open with a rock balanced on their bellies. It’s one of ...

With his adorable Steiff-toy face and fluffy fur, his curious, playful nature and agile forepaws, the sea otter is considered one of the most popular marine mammals of the northern Pacific Ocean. Yet, ...

On a blue-sky afternoon, kayakers paddle past dozens of sea lions lolling in the sun and make a beeline toward the sea otters lounging on beds of eel grass at Elkhorn Slough on California’s central ...