Sea otter
Enhydra lutris
Sea otters float and feed in kelp beds near the shore. Watch from a respectful distance and let rafts and mothers with pups rest.
Endangered (IUCN, 2021) means it is at very high risk of extinction in the wild.
Photos show the species, not always the places on this page.
Length
Southern (California) adults average about 1.18 m (3.9 ft) for females and 1.27 m (4.2 ft) for males; northern adults can grow to about 1.5 m (5 ft)
Weight
Southern females average about 21 kg (46 lb) and males about 29 kg (64 lb); northern males usually about 36 to 45 kg (80 to 100 lb), sometimes more
Next to a person
Roughly the length of a toddler, or of a short adult sitting down
What it eats
Mostly sea-floor animals such as urchins, crabs, clams, mussels, snails, abalone and octopus, and some fish in parts of its range. It eats about 22 to 25% of its body weight each day.
Around people
Calm, give space
How it lives
The sea otter is a key predator of kelp forests, because eating urchins helps the kelp survive. It dives to the sea floor for food and eats it floating at the surface, and some otters crack hard shells with rocks. Otters rest together in groups called rafts, and may wrap themselves in kelp so they do not drift. With little blubber, they rely on dense fur and groom it constantly.
Where it goes
Sea otters are not long-distance migrants. They stay near the coast, with home ranges from a few square kilometres up to about 40 km². They feed in short dives, usually 1 to 2 minutes, sometimes more than 5 minutes, to depths of about 1.5 to 76 m (5 to 250 ft).
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
Otters in California are southern sea otters (E. l. nereis), listed as Threatened in the United States. Northern sea otters (E. l. kenyoni) live from Alaska to Washington and are larger on average; only the Southwest Alaska stock is listed as Threatened, and some other stocks are stable or growing. A third subspecies (E. l. lutris) lives in the Russian Far East. Worldwide, the species is listed as Endangered by the IUCN.
Meet it respectfully
Give rafts and mothers with pups plenty of space. Never feed, touch, chase or surround otters. If an otter looks at you or changes what it is doing, you are too close. Rules differ by place: in California, kayaks are asked to stay at least 18 m (60 ft) away, and in Alaska, official guidance asks boats to keep 100 m from otters, 200 m from mothers with pups and 500 m from large rafts.
Fun fact
Tap the bulb to light it up.
It has the densest fur of any mammal, and staying warm depends on keeping it clean.
Some otters crack open hard prey with rocks while floating at the surface.
It is the largest member of the weasel family.
A mother usually has one pup, which rides on her chest.
Sea 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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Canada
Japan
Russia
United StatesSources for this page
- USFWS
- ADF&G
- WoRMS
- IUCN Red List, 2020
- SeaLifeBase
- USFWS, ethical sea otter viewing, 2023
- USFWS, Sea Otter-Safe Boating guidance
Facts checked 26 September 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.
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