The Aquarium of the Pacific Welcomes Two New Sea Otters

April 29, 2026

April 29, 2026, Long Beach, California-An orphaned sea otter pup and an adult female sea otter have bonded and can now be seen by the public at the Aquarium of the Pacific. The two new sea otters-Rey and pup Sunny-are making their debut in their new home at the Aquarium's Sea Otter Habitat.

Rey is approximately two and a half years old and is from an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited organization. The pup was found without her mother in Asilomar State Beach (in Monterey County), California at approximately two and a half weeks old.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium provided initial care to stabilize the pup before she was deemed nonreleasable by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Pup 1026 was then transferred to the Aquarium of the Pacific to begin socializing with Rey, who arrived at the Aquarium before her in March 2026. "Our hope is that once they reach the age of maturity, both otters will become surrogate mothers, so that more orphaned pups have the chance to return to the ocean," said Megan Smylie, Aquarium of the Pacific sea otter program manager.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is part of Monterey Bay Aquarium's Sea Otter Surrogacy program, where the Aquarium's female sea otters serve as surrogate mothers to teach rescued sea otter pups the skills need to survive in the ocean. Once pups learn the skills needed to survive in the wild, they return to Monterey Bay Aquarium for potential release. The Aquarium of the Pacific's surrogacy pools accommodate on average four rescued sea otter pups each year. The Aquarium of the Pacific became a partner of the sea otter surrogacy program in 2020, constructed the surrogacy space, and received their first releasable sea otter pup in 2024.

The newest sea otter pup, Sunny, was named by generous donors in support of the Aquarium of the Pacific's sea otter conservation work. The Aquarium of the Pacific invites the public to help increase the chances of survival for orphaned sea otters and recover ecosystems off the coast of California. To make a gift, please visit pacific.to/saveseaotters or call (562) 951-1701.

Southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) can be found along the coast of California, just south of San Francisco to Santa Barbara County in central California. "Every sea otter back in the ocean can make a difference. It is our hope that the rescued sea otters who go through surrogacy here will play a role in continuing to expand that population," Smylie said. Sea otters are a keystone species in their kelp forest habitat, eating sea urchins who prey on the kelp itself to help keep the forest healthy and thriving for all the animals that call it home.