Sea Otters
Sea otters live their entire lives in water; they eat, sleep, mate, and give birth at sea. 90% of sea otters live on the coast of California and in Alaska, and the Prince William Sound is a good place to see them. In the 1700s, they were almost hunted to extinction by fur traders. Females give birth to only one pup a year. The pup rides around on their mother's belly. Sea otters have no blubber, so they have the thickest fur of any mammal; millions of hairs per square inch. They have a white head and hind flippers to swim.
Sea otters eat up to 1/4 their weight in food each day. That's about 15 pounds! They eat clams, mussels, rock crabs, and shellfish. Their belly acts as a dining table. Otters place a rock on their belly, and smash their food on it to open a clam or shellfish. Some even have a favorite rock. They even have their own techniques of opening food. Otters also eat kelp, the fastest growing plant. It can grow up to 2 feet per day.
Sea otters rest together in rafts, and anchor themselves from floating away by wrapping themselves in seaweed. They are very social animals and will often play together in underwater jungles of seaweed. And if you are lucky enough, one of these furry friends may follow you when you scuba dive.
Sea otters eat up to 1/4 their weight in food each day. That's about 15 pounds! They eat clams, mussels, rock crabs, and shellfish. Their belly acts as a dining table. Otters place a rock on their belly, and smash their food on it to open a clam or shellfish. Some even have a favorite rock. They even have their own techniques of opening food. Otters also eat kelp, the fastest growing plant. It can grow up to 2 feet per day.
Sea otters rest together in rafts, and anchor themselves from floating away by wrapping themselves in seaweed. They are very social animals and will often play together in underwater jungles of seaweed. And if you are lucky enough, one of these furry friends may follow you when you scuba dive.
