Mother’s Love

Sea otter mothers are devoted to their pups. They spend their days floating on their back with the pup on top, holding hands, grooming them…they teach them how to swim, dive, forage, and care for their dense fur. Sea otters, found in the Pacific Ocean, are exclusively aquatic and considered a keystone species…their presence is a must to maintain a healthy balance in the kelp forest ecosystems. Without them, the sea urchins decimate the kelp as was found in Vancouver after they were hunted to extinction. In 1969, Alaska sent 89 sea otters to the Province to help restore the balance and today the kelp forest is thriving. This mother and pup were floating in the Goleta’s Channel of the North Pacific Ocean, off of North Vancouver Island.