MONTEREY – The Monterey Bay Aquarium is set to welcome a new resident sea otter in the coming weeks – but first, they are asking the community for help choosing her name.
The newest sea otter is joining the aquarium after being found as a three-week-old pup stranded near San Luis Obispo in February last year. The otter has been deemed unreleasable by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to a press release sent out Monday. While she is currently living behind the scenes with other rescued otters undergoing rehabilitation, Aquarium staff are preparing her to join the other resident sea otters: Ivy, Ruby and Selka.
Monterey Bay Aquarium staff name the sea otters to make training easier. Names must be easy for the otters to learn and recognize and must sound distinct from each other. The new sea otter has been described as smart, confident and protective by the sea otter team. The team has chosen three name options which can be voted on:
• Hazel, a name associated with wisdom as the hazel tree is considered the Tree of Knowledge in many cultures, to represent her intelligence.
• Opal, described by the Aquarium as a “colorful name for the playful sea otter,” which is often associated with the gemstone and has many ocean-related references.
• Quinn, which comes from the Old Irish words for “head” or “chief” and matches the otter’s confidence, protectiveness and sassy side.
Voting began at noon Wednesday and will close Thursday at noon. Those who wish to have a say in the new otter’s name can cast their vote on the Aquarium’s website.
The new otter will serve as a species ambassador at the Aquarium’s Sea Otter Exhibit and livecam. Additionally, she can help other orphaned pups in the future as part of the sea otter surrogacy program, which the Herald took a deep dive into as part of our 40th anniversary series.
The Sea Otter Program works to help the threatened species recover; sea otters play a role in maintaining healthy marine habitat by helping restore wetlands and protect kelp forests. The Aquarium also recently built the Sea Otter Conservation Center, a new behind-the-scenes facility that expands the program’s on-site capacity, enabling the ability to rescue and rehabilitate more sea otters.