An orphaned sea otter pup has found refuge at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach after being rescued off the coast of Santa Cruz County. The announcement came on Thursday, marking a significant step in the ongoing efforts to conserve and rehabilitate threatened species.
This female sea otter pup will be the first to undergo “surrogate-raising” at the facility, as part of a partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Otter Surrogacy Program. Paired with an adult female sea otter, the pup will learn essential skills like foraging and grooming, crucial for its eventual release back into the wild.
Brett Long, senior director of birds and mammals at the Aquarium of the Pacific, expressed excitement about the opportunity to contribute to the recovery of this threatened species. The aquarium has been involved in sea otter conservation since its inception in 1998 and joined Monterey’s surrogacy program in 2020.
The surrogacy facility, housed within the Molina Animal Care Centre, can accommodate up to three to four rescued sea otter pups annually. The facility operates behind-the-scenes to minimize human interaction, enhancing the pups’ chances of thriving in the wild.
Support from California’s Coastal Conservancy Sea Otter Recovery Grant Program was instrumental in establishing the surrogacy facility. Educational videos and signage outside the facility inform visitors about the program’s importance in restoring southern sea otter populations and strengthening coastal ecosystems.
Jessica Fujii, manager of the Sea Otter Program at Monterey Bay Aquarium, highlighted the significance of this milestone in aiding sea otter recovery efforts. Sea otters play a vital role in maintaining the health of coastal ecosystems, and initiatives like surrogate-raising are crucial in reversing the impacts of historical overhunting.
The partnership between the Aquarium of the Pacific and the Monterey Bay Aquarium underscores the collaborative efforts needed to protect and restore marine biodiversity. Through such initiatives, there is hope for the continued recovery of sea otter populations and the ecosystems they support.
