NO DOUBT, no quibble, and no arguing the point: You're always aware of sea otters, whether you happen to be at the beach, or an aquarium, or at an ocean institute, or at any other place on this planet. You know a lot of about these playful mammals, their love of noshing upon urchins and crabs and mussels, their incredibly thick and toasty fur, and some of the trials they've faced in the not-so-long-ago past, in terms of extinction due to hunting. Asked to come up with a fact or two, on the spot, you might cite the close relationship between pups and their mothers as well as their ability to turn shells into tools when a potential meal is at hand.
COMPLETELY AWARE, in short? You so are, dear otter aficionado. But when the close of September arrives, the wider profile of the sea otter rises, thanks to Sea Otter Awareness Week. The name of the week isn't simply a general suggestion that we should bone up on our otter-based facts, however; a number of Central Coast spots honor sea otters, and help educate we humans, through a variety of events. And you can find many of those happenings burbling up, like so much sea foam, from...
SEPT. 23 THROUGH 29, 2018: The events will include presentations on photographing otters, discovering how they've rebounded from the edge of extinction, and more. Where to go? Morro Bay, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Bay Aquarium are some of the locations. Wild for these wild and whiskery denizens of the not-so-deep? Spend a bit of Sea Otter Awareness Week getting to know these just-off-the-coast superstars and how we landlubbers can help otterdom to a brighter tomorrow.
