Sea Otter

Sea otters are charismatic marine mammals that inhabit shallow coastal waters, typically around kelp forests and rocky reefs. Smaller than most marine carnivores at roughly 1–1.5 m long, they are unmistakable with their dense fur, rounded heads, and playful surface behaviour. Unlike seals, sea otters lack blubber and rely entirely on their fur for insulation, spending much of their time foraging on the seabed for sea urchins, crabs, and molluscs—often using rocks as tools to crack open shells. Once hunted nearly to extinction, they remain endangered, though populations in some regions have recovered.