Exploring Under the Sea

Location

There is a wide range of locations where sea otters live. Northern sea otters are found along the Alaska and Washington coasts and the Aleutian Islands. Southern sea otters are found along California’s central coast, from San Mateo County to Santa Barbra. Moreover, finally, Asia sea otters are found in the Pacific Ocean off Russia and Japan.

Unique Features

Some unique features of sea otters include:

Having the thickest fur of any animal.
Being able to hold their breaths for over five minutes while searching for food underwater.
Their nostrils and ears close underwater to prevent water from getting inside.
Sea otters have webbed feet.

Eating Behaviors

When finding food, sea otters can dive as deep as 250 feet, using their whiskers to find small prey in crevices and their forepaws to dig for clams. Sea otters can be both carnivores and omnivores, but primarily, they are carnivores. Their diet includes snails, urchins, crab, abalone, clams, mussels, and other invertebrates. Also, northern sea otters eat fish.

Communication Methods

Sea otters communicate through numerous methods. Some of these methods include scent markings, vocalizations, and sign heaps. Scent markings are used to mark their territorial boundaries and communicate individual identity. Sea otters are not as vocal as one may think. Pups have a high-pitched squeal to communicate with their mothers, while adults have a softer sound and grunts that communicate contentment and warnings. Lastly, with sign heaps, a sea otter will scrap up mounds of gravel, sand, mud, and grass to show that they were there.

What are some Fun Facts?

They are considered an essential keystone species. They help control the sea urchin population, which helps balance the kelp forest ecosystem.
To survive, sea otters eat 25 percent of their body weight in food every day.
When otters are grouped up to rest, they are called rafts. They wrap themselves up in seaweed and form a raft, so they do not drift away from one another.