Sea Otter Awareness Week

September 20 – 26, 2026

Annually, throughout the last full week of September, we celebrate sea otters during Sea Otter Awareness Week. We encourage zoological and educational institutions, governmental agencies and communities to plan and undertake events that highlight sea otters. These activities include sharing stories, disseminating science and generating media that inspire a deeper awareness of these unique marine mammals, their ecological importance and the many challenges they face.

Sea Otter Awareness Week is organized and sponsored by Defenders of Wildlife, Sea Otter Savvy, California Department of Parks and Recreation, the Elakha Alliance, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Jump to Calendar of Events

2026 Theme: Rooted in Resilience

For Sea Otter Awareness Week 2026, we celebrate the deep connections among sea otters, kelp forests and the natural communities that depend on healthy oceans. Just as the roots and rhizomes of eelgrass beds and the holdfasts of kelp grip coastal substrates, true resilience begins with durable attachments.

The interrelationships between sea otters, their habitats, other wildlife and people create resilient networks that can adapt, recover and thrive amid change. Sea otters have demonstrated a remarkable ability to support the diversity and biomass of kelp and estuarine ecosystems; however, building resilience for sea otters and coastlines in today’s world takes a cohesive effort. This includes enforcing protections, advancing research, increasing awareness and nurturing coexistence. It could also involve conversing with local communities about reintroducing sea otters to areas where they have remained absent since the maritime fur trade hunted them to regional extinction. Reestablishing the sea otter’s keystone role in nearshore environments will likely reinforce the hardiness of those systems while aiding the species’ recovery.

Resilience is also about people. Wildlife conservation requires long-term adaptability, collaboration and persistence. Generating opportunities for dialogue about coastal renovation, including potential sea otter reintroduction, will cultivate informed human communities that can navigate change. Restoring healthy ecosystems through open participation among people and nature-based solutions—with an emphasis on sea otters, of course!—will require a sophisticated, steadfast, integrated approach…one firmly rooted in resilience.

Logo designed by Heather Barrett

Calendar of Events

September 24 2026, 6 to 8pm

Newport, OR

Sea Otter Bingo at Claim 52 Brewery (Newport)

Host: Elakha Alliance | Featuring Claim 52 Brewing (Newport)

Join the Elakha Alliance for Bingo Night at Claim 52 Brewing in Newport and help support sea otter restoration in Oregon in honor of Sea Otter Awareness Week. Bring your family, your friends and your lucky bingo charm for an evening of great prizes, delicious food and drinks, and community fun. This event is open to all ages! Proceeds from Bingo card sales and $1 from each pint sold will be donated to the Elakha Alliance to help advance its mission of restoring sea otters to the Oregon coast and rebuilding healthy, resilient marine ecosystems.

Learn More

September 24 2026, 6 to 8pm

San Francisco, CA

Sea Otter Savvy and NightLife: K-Pop

Host: Sea Otter Savvy | For ages 21+

Every fandom has a home at Cal Academy’s NightLife. Dance your heart out, get creative, celebrate the music you love…and learn a bit about sea otter conservation while you party. Stay tuned for more programming info!

September 25 2026, 12 to 1pm

Virtual

An Artist's Journey into Sea Otter and Kelp Forest Storytelling

Hosts: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and Sea Otter Savvy | Featuring Josie Iselin

Photographer, author, and book designer Josie Iselin will discuss her connection to the ocean world of seaweeds and kelp. Join this livestream for an illustrated foray into Josie’s artwork and her journey as a seaweed and kelp advocate. Josie will also talk about the research and writing for her book, The Mysterious World of Bull Kelp (bullkelp.info), which focuses on the importance of sea otters in the kelp forest story.

YouTube Livestream

September 26 2026, 10am to 4pm

Newport, OR

Sea Otter Viewing Station at Oregon Coast Aquarium

Host: Elakha Alliance | Featuring Elakha Alliance and Oregon Coast Aquarium experts

For Sea Otter Awareness Week, the Elakha Alliance has designated a sea otter viewing station at the Oregon Coast Aquarium to conclude Sea Otter Awareness Week. Stop by our viewing station next to the sea otter exhibit and meet with an Elakha representative to learn the history of sea otters in Oregon and the critical reasons they should return to their native waters.

Learn More

September 26 2026, 11am to 5pm

Portland, OR

Sea Otter Extravaganza at the Portland Aquarium

Host: Elakha Alliance | Featuring Elakha Alliance, The Portland Aquarium and Mike Bennett Studios

Come to the Portland Aquarium for a special day of sea otter conservation, marine science, and cartoon ocean adventures! You can meet our marine biologists, ask questions, learn why sea otters are a keystone species, and discover how their return could help restore healthy, resilient marine ecosystems along the Oregon coast. You’ll also get to learn more about the Elakha Alliance and its work to bring sea otters back home. This event marks the final day of Sea Otter Awareness Week, so we’re going out with a splash!

Learn More

Sea Otter Resilience Recharge Raft

Host: Wildlife Conservation Network’s Sea Otter Fund

It’s normal at times to feel tired, discouraged, or even heartbroken by the challenges we face. For all of you who love sea otters, Dr. Jen Miller, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Sea Otter Fund and a certified meditation teacher, has recorded a gentle 8-minute guided visualization.

Chuck Place/Alamy Stock Photo

This practice offers a moment to reconnect with sea otters, reflect on the difference each of us is making, and draw strength from the wider community working to protect wildlife. You’ll leave feeling refreshed, encouraged, and ready to rejoin the raft. Return to this recording whenever you need a resilience recharge!

Watch Guided Visualization

Please fill out Sea Otter Savvy’s online survey, which seeks public input on sea otter reintroduction and recovery.

Survey