Monday's Inspirational Photo - Sea Otter

This lovely image was the runner up in our recent World Ocean Day photo contest. Glenn Hightree took this photo of one of our exhibit otters, Joy, in February this year. Joy also acts as a surrogate mom to young otters who have become separated from their moms in the wild. The hope is that these pups will learn the lifeskills they need to survive and can be returned to the wild and later become parents themselves. With only 3,000 sea otters in California waters, each animal has an important role to play in the future success and survival of this population.

California's sea otters are in the news again this week. A new draft report by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife service indicates that "Southern sea otters are holding their own on California's coast but their fragile population still is at risk from disease, oil spills and other disasters."

The Monterey Bay Aquarium's "Sea Otter Research and Conservation" program (SORAC) works with federal and state agencies to try to better understand the threats facing this threatened population, especially infectious disease, which is taking a heavy toll.To learn more, you can listen to our podcast or check out our SORAC web pages.

Want to do more? Check out our Save the Oceans section and learn how you can donate, join our Ocean Action Team or learn about how your seafood choices can make a difference.