Sea otters are playful ocean animals with the thickest fur in the world. They float on their backs, use rocks as tools and sometimes hold hands while they sleep! Let's float into some sweet sea otter facts!
🦦 Sea Otter quick facts
- Animal type
- Mammal
- Home
- Coastal waters of the North Pacific Ocean
- Food
- Sea urchins, crabs, clams, mussels and fish
- Size
- About 4 feet (1.2 m) long
- Life span
- About 10 to 20 years
25 Sea Otter Facts for Kids
- Sea otters live in the North Pacific Ocean, along the coasts of North America and Asia.
- Sea otters are one of the smallest marine mammals.
- Sea otters have the thickest fur of any animal, with up to about a million hairs per square inch.
- Unlike seals and whales, sea otters don't have a layer of blubber. Their fur keeps them warm.
- Sea otters spend lots of time grooming to keep their fur clean and fluffy.
- Sea otters spend most of their lives in the water.
- Sea otters float on their backs to eat, rest and groom.
- Sea otters use rocks as tools to crack open clams and shells.
- A sea otter has a pouch of loose skin under each arm to hold food and its favorite rock.
- Sea otters eat sea urchins, crabs, clams, mussels and fish.
- Sea otters eat about a quarter of their body weight in food every day.
- Some sea otters hold hands or wrap themselves in kelp while they sleep so they don't drift away.
- A group of sea otters resting together in the water is called a raft.
- Baby sea otters are called pups.
- A mother sea otter carries her pup on her belly as she floats.
- Sea otter pups are so fluffy that they float like little corks.
- Sea otters can close their ears and nostrils when they dive.
- Sea otters can hold their breath for about five minutes.
- Sea otters have webbed back feet that work like flippers.
- Sea otters help kelp forests by eating sea urchins, which would otherwise munch the kelp.
- Healthy kelp forests are homes for many other ocean animals.
- Sea otters are a 'keystone species,' which means their ocean home depends on them.
- Long ago, sea otters were hunted for their fur until very few were left.
- Today, sea otters are protected, and their numbers have grown in many places.
- River otters are cousins of sea otters that live in rivers and lakes and spend more time on land.
Questions kids ask about sea otters
Why do sea otters hold hands?
Sea otters sometimes hold hands or wrap themselves in kelp while sleeping so they don't float away from each other.
How do sea otters stay warm?
Sea otters have the thickest fur of any animal. It traps air next to their skin and keeps the cold water out.
What do sea otters eat?
Sea otters eat sea urchins, crabs, clams, mussels, snails and fish. They often use rocks to crack open hard shells.
What is the difference between a sea otter and a river otter?
Sea otters live in the ocean and float on their backs, while river otters live in fresh water and spend more time on land.
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