Marine otter
Lontra felina
A small, dark head in the kelp at the edge of the surf. Marine otters avoid people, and no sighting is ever a promise.
Endangered (IUCN, 2022) means it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild, because of hunting in the past, bycatch, dogs and the loss of its rocky-shore habitat.
Photos show the species, not always the places on this page.
Length
Total length about 87 to 115 cm (34 to 45 in), including a tail of about 30 to 36 cm (12 to 14 in)
Weight
About 3 to 5 kg (6.6 to 11 lb); one source gives up to 6 kg (13 lb)
Next to a person
About as long as a small child is tall, and about as heavy as a newborn baby or a little more. It is one of the smallest otters and described as the smallest marine mammal.
What it eats
Crustaceans, molluscs, octopus and fish, with the mix changing by region. In southern Chile fish dominate, in northern Chile crustaceans and molluscs, and in Peru it also takes Peruvian diving petrels. It is described as an opportunistic hunter.
Around people
Quiet, keep far back
How it lives
Marine otters live on rocky shores with kelp and strong swell, and avoid sandy beaches. They rest and den in caves and crevices, and they are active in daylight. Breeding is mainly in December and January, pups are born from January to March after about 60 to 70 days, and litters have 2 to 5 pups, often two. Pups are cared for for about 10 months and ride on the mother's belly in the water.
Where it goes
Marine otters stay close to the rocky coast, from northern Peru (around Chimbote) down the whole Chilean coast to southern Argentina, with rare stray records in the Falkland Islands. They live in small, fragmented groups and shelter in caves and rock crevices. The sources I opened do not describe regular long-distance movements.
We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.
Populations
IUCN (2022): Endangered. The number of marine otters in the wild is not known, and sources describe numbers as decreasing and groups as fragmented. Fur hunting removed them from parts of Argentina and the Falklands. A 2026 study of cases in north-central Chile from 2003 to 2024 found that human causes of death dominated, mainly dog attacks, then fishing bycatch. It is listed in CITES Appendix I.
Meet it respectfully
Marine otters actively avoid people, so watch from a long way back, stay quiet and use binoculars. Never chase, touch, feed or bait them, never approach dens, and keep dogs away, because attacks by free-roaming dogs are a documented cause of death. Pick up litter, follow local rules and your guide.
Fun fact
Tap the bulb to light it up.
It is one of the smallest otters and is described as the smallest marine mammal.
It has coarse guard hairs and a dense underfur that help keep it warm.
Pups ride on their mother's belly while she swims.
Marine otter in the Ocean Atlas
Places we have researched where this animal is recorded. It is never guaranteed, and some places are for watching from the boat only.
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Chile
PeruSources for this page
- Wikipedia, Marine otter
- IUCN SSC Otter Specialist Group, Lontra felina
- International Otter Survival Fund, Marine otter
- Chile Travel, The chungungo
- GBIF, IUCN Red List category for Lontra felina
- Aguayo and Sielfeld, 2025, Anales del Instituto de la Patagonia, otters in Chile
Facts checked 5 October 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.
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