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Oceanarium thanksgiving buffet6/15/2023 ![]() We look forward to having her on exhibit, and we hope you get a chance to see her. She likes being touched on the head, chest and back, and even waits at the door before feeding sessions! She also grew attached to towels as a young pup. ![]() She likes to play with artificial kelp, take ice baths and eat frozen treats. What’s Abby like? Reports from SeaWorld indicate that she’s patient with aquarists and very trainable. Having another surrogate on board is particularly important following the death of our veteran sea otter mom, Toola, from old age in March. “She’s the right age, and has already displayed maternal behavior,” says Christine DeAngelo, the Aquarium’s associate curator of marine mammals. Why the switch? We’re hopeful that five-year-old Abby will develop into a surrogate for the many pups we rescue and return to the wild as part of our Sea Otter Research and Conservation program. Our young female otter, Kit, was transferred to SeaWorld at the same time we received Abby. You can see her on exhibit now or on our live web cam! There, she became a popular exhibit otter.Ībby was transferred to the Aquarium June 11, where she spent time acclimating behind the scenes. The 44-pound, five-year-old female otter was rescued as a newborn on Jby the Santa Barbara Marine Mammal Rescue Center and was hand-raised at SeaWorld San Diego, with guidance from our staff. On June 12 a new sea otter named Abby went on exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Sea Otter Sea Otter Week Sea Otter Awareness Week Monterey Bay Aquarium Pup 696 Learn more about our work studying and rescuing sea otters. We also rescue, treat and release injured otters raise and release stranded pups through our surrogate program and seek homes for sea otters that can’t return to the wild. The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea Otter Program has been studying the threatened southern sea otter since 1984 with the aim of understanding threats to the population and promoting its recovery. We’ll keep you updated on the story of 696, so stay tuned! He’s currently behind the scenes waiting for the right time to be released and surrogate mom Rosa, is back on exhibit. ![]() This is where our story ends–for now! Born in February, pup 696 is now about 8 months old, and continuing to learn and grow. He’s almost ready to go back into the wild. Then it’s time for diving practice in the sea otter exhibit. Rosa also shows him how to crack open and eat food once he’s found it. Luckily, orphaned pup 696 has surrogate mom Rosa to teach him how to dive, collect food and other skills he’ll need to survive in the wild.įollowing Rosa’s lead, pup 696 learns to forage for food.
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