• The Sea Otter has over 1 million hairs per square inch! That’s enough to give them the record of world’s densest fur. To provide a littler perspective, humans have about 100, 000 hairs (or less…if you are balding) in total, on their head.

• Sea Otters live in groups, which are called “rafts” (yes, like a boat). Interestingly enough, much like a raft, the Sea Otters will typically sleep side by side, wrapped in pieces of kelp so they don’t drift away from each other.

• These playful creatures are known for being incredibly clean. In fact, they will devote a couple hours each day to grooming themselves, and why not considering their coat of fur is what protects them from the icy ocean waters.

While the Sea Otter is known to spend the majority of their life swimming through the ocean, they have been known to occasionally come to shore in order to rest or just relax on solid ground. Often the females will head to shore after mating in order to relax for a little bit. After all, raising a pup is going to be tough, so you need to make sure you are caught up on your sleep before giving birth. I understand that it may be tempting to get an up close view with a resting Otter, but please try to keep your distance. I know I wouldn’t want a bizarre animal approaching me while I was sleeping on the beach.

Unfortunately, back around the 2oth century, people didn’t provide the Sea Otter with this courtesy.  Hunters looking for a nice, soft, clean pelt pushed the Sea Otter population to the brink of extinction and at one point, there were about 2000 individuals remaining in the wild. Luckily, we have corrected our past mistakes as we have issued strict protective measures around this beautiful weasel and today there are more than 150 000 individuals swimming around the ocean waters. It is always nice to know that it isn’t too late to save a species and should provide hope for many endangered animals clinging to life.

Earlier I mentioned that females will often rest prior to giving birth. My guess is these intelligent creatures are preparing for the 8 months following birth in which they will need to take care of their young. The young need to stick close to their mother as they rely heavily on her to provide them with food. Interestingly enough,the babies can’t feed themselves since their fur holds so much air that they literally can’t sink. It is tough to catch your dinner when you aren’t able to dive so it is a good thing they have a wonderful mother to do this work for them. Before diving, the mother will wrap her pups in kelp so they can just bob up and down on the surface, while she looks for dinner. Even the Sea Otter knows the importance of wearing a life jacket!