Aquarium Otters: Icy Holiday Treats

The furry favorites clown around with their frosty snacks.

While we're feeling the warmth of cheer and comity in our hearts at the holidays, pop culture tells a slightly different story, for ice and snowflakes and flurries all serve as common symbols in our seasonal songs and 

It's a bit of a quirk, as we humans don't delve into the world of ice-based enjoyment all that much when the temperature drops, aside from a spin at the local ice rink or a few cubes in our nog-based cocktail.

But let's just boldly state, right here and now, that this course of ice-avoiding action is not how otters like to do it up come the yuletide. In fact, our furry ocean-dwelling mammal friends are wild over frosty munchables, and rolling in ice, and spinning around on shivery surfaces.

Our advice? Don't even argue with an otter about this topic, because you may get a glacial glance in return.

Yes. Glacial. 

In that sleet-sweet spirit, the Aquarium of the Pacific treated their resident otters to a caboodle of cold snacks earlier in December. A snowman, a sign reading "Happy Holidays" (complete with a Christmas tree), and gingerbread ice people were placed in the eager-to-party otters' den at the Long Beach institution.

"Fourteen bags of snow" were spread about for the otters to revel in, says the aquarium's blog.

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There's video of all this cuteness, in case you missed it. But you haven't missed the Aquarium Holidays event, if you're reading this before Dec. 23, 2016. That's still going on, and is heavily festooned with cheery sea-sparkly happenings, from Santa Diver cameos in the Honda Blue Cavern tank to kidly crafts and chances to take memorably 'n merry photos.

Still, though: otters and ice. It's a heart-tuggable sight that kind of makes you want to pull on an extra sweater and scarf...

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