Northern sea otters live off the shores of Ketchikan. However, they can be quite elusive. So they are not in the list of frequently seen sea mammals.
Sea otters eat clams, mussels, sea urchins, abalone, sea snails, crabs, and other marine life. Every day, they must eat the equivalent weight of 25% of their body weight to maintain their high metabolisms which protect them from the cold.
Northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) are a part of the weasel family. In fact, the sea otter is the largest member of it. It is protected as a keystone species, which means the sea otter is essential to the balance of the ecosystem in which it lives.
In order to stay warm in the frigid waters of the Pacific Ocean, sea otters have thick brown, black, and silver fur. In fact, their fur coat is the thickest of all animals. Their front feet have toes that are short and inflexible. To help with swimming, their back toes are webbed. They can grow to be 5 feet in length. The average male weighs up to 100 pounds, but some can be heavier. The average female weighs up to 70 pounds. They live 15 to 20 years.
Northern sea otters can only be found along the coasts of Alaska, Washington, and British Columbia. They do not migrate, which means you can spot them in the area year-round. They are most active in the early morning and the evening while they are feeding.
Asleep or awake, sea otters spend nearly their entire lives swimming in and floating on the water. They occasionally pull themselves onto land to find some rest, but they do not venture far because they are clumsy.
As one of the only mammals who use tools, sea otters use rocks to open shells to get to their food. They float on their backs on the water’s surface and use their bellies as tables to work on. When they need more food, they dive as deep as 300 feet to find more from the seabed and tuck it into their armpits during the swim back up to the surface.
Sea otters are considered to be incredibly social animals. They often rest and travel in groups. Groups larger than 1,000 otters have been spotted gathering together.
If you would like to see wildlife in their natural habitat, schedule a trip on one of our charters!
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