Sea otter moms raise their pups on their own without the help of males or other females. A mother sea otter will give birth at sea and then be a 24/7 caregiver for her new offspring as he or she transforms, over the next 6-8 months, from a helpless bundle of fur into a young sea otter ready to make it alone in the ocean. As any parent can relate, these months of dependency can be physically taxing, and sea otter moms will be pushed to their survival limits by the time their pup becomes independent. We appreciate a sea otter mother’s unwavering dedication to raising their young.
This week, we have a very special way you can honor someone for Mother’s Day. We’ve partnered with Marina Larson, who is an Oregon State University student studying Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences. Marina is also an excellent artist and the daughter of Dr. Shawn Larson, Curator of Conservation Research at the Seattle Aquarium + co-author of our Feasibility Study. In honor of her mother and all the hard work she has done to advocate for sea otters and healthier kelp forest ecosystems, Marina has graciously donated to the Elakha Alliance an absolutely stunning underwater kelp forest painting to raffle off this week! She’s working right now on the finishing touches, but it will be completed soon.
