Long Beach

Aquarium's Newest Rescued Otter Is One in a Millie

Millie is the newest resident of the Aquarium of the Pacific's Sea Otter Habitat.

NBC Universal, Inc.

What to Know

  • Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach
  • Millie debuts at the Sea Otter Habitat on Feb. 27, 2020
  • Southern sea otters faced possible extinction just a century ago

Southern sea otters?

Oh such adorableness. We humans do love to see them frolicking out in the waves, floating on their backs, and tenderly tending to their young.

Sometimes, though, these sweet symbols of the Central Coast require extra care, some TLC, medical attention, or other forms of assistance from otter-loving landlubbers.

And humans in Long Beach are going the extra mile for Millie, a Southern sea otter rescued on the Central Coast, where she was found "stranded."

The four-year-old marine mammal will officially join the Sea Otter Habitat at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach on Thursday, Feb. 27.

At least that's the first day the public will be able to admire her.

Local

Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.

1 found dead, 1 in critical condition after Pacoima garage fire

Watch for a SpaceX rocket set for Thursday evening launch from the California coast

Whether Millie will join in the 2021 Otter Bowl, one of the aquarium's most popular events, remains to be seen.

But she'll certainly spend much of each day playing, and enjoying the urchins and other tasty critters that otters do love to chow down upon.

"Southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) are marine mammals related to skunks and weasels," says a statement from the aquarium. They "... play an important role in the ocean, keeping kelp forest and estuary ecosystems healthy."

Risks? They're still plentiful for Southern sea otters, and threats include "oil spills, pollution, and climate change." Learning from whiskery representatives such as Millie give scientists more knowledge about how we humans can do right by the otters that share our planet.

In that spirit, the aquarium efforts to help our California coastal otters continue to grow, and a big announcement is due, right around Millie's debut, concerning what is next in the institution's otter-directed efforts.

Contact Us