Sea Otter Awareness Week

September 18 - 24, 2022

20th Anniversary

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.

Path to Coexistence

This year’s theme reflects the challenge of managing human uses to sustain wildlife and habitat diversity. Coexisting with nature supports the health and resilience of all life.

“Simply put — coexistence is helping people share the landscape with wildlife and using innovative tools to reduce the conflicts that often occur with wildlife in their natural habitats.”

~ Defenders of Wildlife

Coexistence reflects a state where humans and wildlife adapt to living within shared landscapes, with minimal and tolerable costs to both. We cannot eliminate all human-wildlife conflicts and impacts. Still, we can reduce them and gain an awareness that coastal wildlife like the sea otter imparts significant value to the health and stability of nearshore ecosystems. We must remain mindful that when we harm nature, we harm ourselves. Many paths stretch before us that we will travel with the passage of time. Only time will tell whether we opted for a path to coexistence.

Heather Barrett designed another great logo this year. Within the image, discreet elements from the sea otter’s habitat blend into the picture. (Here’s an I Spy version of the logo for kids to search and color.) Heather placed tiny human silhouettes in the background to indicate our presence in the system at a safe distance from sensitive wildlife.

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Sea Otter Awareness Week 2022 logo

Events Calendar

The Road to Restoration in Oregon Webinar

Bob Bailey, Board President of the Elakha Alliance, presents the results of the Alliance’s scientific Feasibility Study and describes the next steps for returning sea otters to Oregon’s coastline.

Watch the webinar recording

Hosted by the Elakha Alliance
A We Were Here Event

Connecting the Dots Between Sick Sea Otters and Land-Based Pollution Webinar

Dr. Melissa Miller, wildlife pathologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, explains how the things we do on the land affect sea otters and other marine wildlife.

Watch the webinar

Hosted by the Seymour Marine Discovery Center

Marine Mammal Monday: Sea Otter Spectacular

Learn about the intricacies of sea otter rehabilitation, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s specialized surrogacy program.

Watch the recording

Hosted by The Marine Mammal Center
A We Were Here Event

USFWS Panel Discussion: Sea Otter Reintroduction along the Pacific West Coast

Three biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service summarize and discuss the federal feasibility assessment regarding the potential reintroduction of sea otters to northern California and Oregon.

Watch the virtual event here.

Hosted by the Elakha Alliance

Chat with Sea Otter Aquarists!

Find out how the Monterey Bay Aquarium keeps rescued sea otters mentally and physically stimulated.

Watch the recording

Hosted by Monterey Bay Aquarium

Join Defenders of Wildlife’s Sea Otter Facebook Group

Also follow our hashtags:

#SeaOtterAwarenessWeek

#SOAW2022

#WeWereHere

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Sea Otter
Joshua Asel

 

California Resolution

In June 2022, the California Legislature recognized the 20th anniversary of Sea Otter Awareness Week with Assembly Concurrent Resolution 169.

Read the full text of the resolution.

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Southern sea otters float at Moss Landing, California.
Lilian Carswell/USFWS

Check out these Live Otter Cameras all year!

Detroit Zoo
Sea Otter Live Cam

Monterey Bay Aquarium
Sea Otter Cam

Oregon Coast Aquarium
Sea Otter Live Camera

Seattle Aquarium
Live Otter Cams 
 

We Were Here Sea Otter Stakeholder Survey

Take the Survey

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

Wildlife and Wild Places

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