Does it get any cuter than this? Watch sea otter babies cuddle with their moms in Morro Bay
If you haven’t swung by the Morro Bay Harbor lately, now’s the time to go: The place is a veritable sea otter nursery filled with fuzzy babies floating in the calm waters and cuddling with their mothers.
Sharon Blakely, a volunteer with Sea Otter Savvy, said that there isn’t a specific season for sea otter births like there is for elephant seals. Otters can pup any time of the year and often choose Morro Bay because it offers a safe haven to give birth and raise their pups.
Sea Otter Savvy helps survey populations, and its website offers educational information about otters.
The otters can be seen near the South-T Pier and in the bay near Morro Rock. At any one time, some 20 to 30 otters calle the harbor home, according to the city.
Blakely said that quiet time during the day is an important rest period for the marine mammals.
“Respect their nap. Anybody who has had a child knows that nap time is very important time,” she said.
“A lot of people don’t know with sea otters is they are fairly nocturnal eaters,” she added. “They like to get 30 percent of their calories at midnight, a lot in the very early morning and a lot in the late afternoon, early evening. So the daytime is nap time.”
According to Seaotters.com, an otter must consume a quarter of its body weight every day and spend 9 to 12 hours foraging each day.
Their most common cause of death? Shark bites.
Swimmers, paddle boarders and boaters who venture onto the water should give otters at least five kayak lengths of space, Blakely said.
And they should also keep voices down to avoid disturbing the otters.
“They are residents of the bay. People come to visit. Otters come to raise their children.”
This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
