Sea Otter Pup recovering at Alaska SeaLife Center after orca attack kills mother

Here’s a pretty wild story from Homer, Alaska. It involves a cute baby sea otter and a pretty intense rescue mission.

On September 9th, something pretty dramatic went down near Homer, Alaska. There was a baby sea otter who was hanging on to her mama for dear life when a couple of orcas decided to attack them. Tragically, they got the mama otter, but somehow, the little one managed to survive.

Now, here’s the cool part. There happened to be some folks on a fishing boat nearby, and one of them was Natalie Hunter, who works at the Alaska SeaLife Center. Talk about being in the right place at the right time.  Natalie got the green light from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and swooped in to save the day.

She managed to rescue the baby otter, first bringing it onto the boat and then to the SeaLife Center in Seward. The folks at the center are saying that this little otter, who was probably only about a day old when she was saved, wouldn’t have stood a chance if left on her own.

Apparently, after that scary encounter with the orca, the baby otter’s fur got all waterlogged and lost its buoyancy. Hanna Beane, one of the lab techs taking care of her, explained that she would’ve likely drowned within an hour or become a tasty snack for an eagle. Yikes!

But, here’s the good news: this little otter is doing great at the SeaLife Center. She’s got a healthy appetite and seems to be in tip-top shape. However, there’s a twist. She can’t be released back into the wild because, well, they can’t teach her all the skills she needs to survive out there.

So, the SeaLife Center is on the lookout for a forever home for this adorable otter. In the meantime, Hanna Beane says she’s getting top-notch care and is one lucky otter to be alive. They’re basically her otter family now, and they’re here for her every step of the way. 😊