OTTER AFICIONADOS? They know all about what otters love to eat (mmm, mollusks) and how otters sleep (floating on their backs) and everything to do with the wondrous whiskery creatures. But finding a camera that's trained on a few rescued pups, the kind of window into a world we rarely get to see? Even those who have a line on all of the lovable otter-themed sights out in the world don't always know where to find more immediate information on otter rescues. But the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is currently closed in the face of COVID-19, is giving those who love the water-loving mammals something unusual to see: Formerly stranded wild otters, at play, in the Cannery Row institution's sea otter exhibit.
THESE WILD OTTERS... typically remain off-view, as the aquarium doesn't "... want the otters to get comfortable around humans." But as there aren't humans inside the aquarium these days, beyond the keepers caring for the resident animals, the MBA decided to give these wild critters a chance to play, relax, and get to know the habitat. "With the Aquarium closed to visitors, we have a unique and exciting opportunity to let the stranded pups we usually keep behind the scenes explore our Sea Otter exhibit," says a post on the camera's main page. By the by, the aquarium received a "special exception" from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to make this rare possibility a reality.
AND THE SEA OTTER CAM? It is catching the whole playful affair, which will last a couple of weeks or so. So tune in soon to see these wild otters "dive, explore under rocks and in tunnels and generally act otter-ly like themselves." Once the aquarium reopens, the wild otters will again make way for the sea otters the public knows well, so don't miss this amazing chance to take a deep peek at #rescueotterlife.
