What to Know
- Three rescued baby otters debuted on June 8 — World Ocean Day — at the Aquarium of the Pacific
- The non-releasable pups have found a new home in the aquarium's Northern Pacific Gallery
- Viewing the youngsters is included with your aquarium membership or admission
There are lots of sweet shout-outs that a new resident can properly give the town they just moved to, from hanging a decorative banner, one that salutes the city's favorite team, from their porch to wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the local school's mascot.
But three young otters, all rescued from California beaches, are putting a novel spin on this boosterism concept. It's a tribute that becomes clear the moment you sound out the names of the new Long Beach residents: Elle, Bee, and Cee.
Indeed, the trio has now taken up damp domicile in the LBC, the catchy handle for Long Beach, if you please, which instantly reveals that the rescued otters are fresh and frolicsome additions to the Aquarium of the Pacific.
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Adding to the excitement? The little ones, a male and two females, made their debut in the Northern Pacific Gallery on June 8, which is World Ocean Day.
Elle, a female found at Marina State Beach around a year ago, was taken to Monterey Bay Aquarium in order to potentially bond with a surrogate Southern sea otter mother. "However, this pairing was ultimately not successful as the two did not bond, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service deemed Elle non-releasable," shares the aquarium.
"For the past two years, we have been temporarily housing young sea otters with the goal of freeing up space in the Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Otter Surrogacy Program so more sea otter pups have a chance to return to the wild," said Brett Long, senior director of birds and mammals, Aquarium of the Pacific.
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More rescued pups may soon find a supportive stop in Southern California. The Long Beach-based aquarium "... has been building a new area to serve as an additional location where adult female sea otters can serve as surrogate mothers to stranded sea otter pups with the goal of release back to the ocean," reveals the Aquarium of the Pacific.
No surrogates were available for Bee or Cee at the time of their rescues.
Bee was stranded at Morro Strand Campground in early 2023 while Cee was discovered at Carmel Beach around the same time. Both youngsters were under a month old when they were rescued, with Cee's age estimated to be five days old.
Get acquainted with Elle, Bee, and Cee at the Aquarium of the Pacific this summer.
No separate ticket is required; your membership or admission is all that's needed to take a peek at these energetic and adorable otters.
