As part of SeaWorld’s commitment to helping distressed, ill, and orphaned animals, SeaWorld San Diego has welcomed Rey, a rescued southern sea otter pup.
Rey was rescued in August 2023 at just three days old in Morro Bay after stranding. California Department of Fish and Wildlife Biologists attempted to locate the mother for reunification, but no adult female sea otters were observed in the vicinity. Although the exact cause of the stranding is unknown, rescuers decided Rey would not have survived without human intervention given her young age.
Rey was transported to Monterey Bay Aquarium, where she was placed in the facility’s sea otter surrogacy program for rehabilitation with the intent of being released back into the wild. During the first few weeks of pairing with a sea otter surrogate mother, however, program staff noted Rey’s weight was not increasing at a normal rate, and sections of her fur were not well groomed. She underwent a health exam and was found to have very elevated liver enzymes and inflammation. Due to these health concerns, surrogacy was discontinued while Rey underwent treatment.
At 10 months old, Rey is stable with her liver enzyme values and weight improving. Re-starting surrogacy at her age is unlikely to be successful and would likely cause additional stress. Without the care of a surrogate mother, she would be unlikely to survive in the wild. As a result, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially deemed her non-releasable and transferred her to her new home at SeaWorld San Diego in February.
“We are glad to give Rey a home at Wild Arctic and are pleased with her adjustment so far. Rey is now fully acclimated with all our Southern sea otters and is beginning to exhibit a curious personality. She is exploring her new environment at Wild Arctic, and we are looking forward to celebrating her first birthday in August,” said John Stewart, zoological curator at SeaWorld San Diego.
The California population of sea otters is approximately 3,000 animals, and the species is listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For decades, SeaWorld has been helping otters in distress as part of a network of accredited facilities. The goal of the network of experts from accredited facilities is to facilitate the conservation and recovery of southern sea otters.
Southern sea otters are found exclusively along the coast of Central California and can also be seen at Wild Arctic where SeaWorld guests can visit them up close and view their curious and playful behaviors. SeaWorld San Diego offers educational trainer talks daily where guests can hear from animal care specialists about their day-to-day care, habits, and interactions with the otters, while also sharing exciting facts about each one.
For more information, park hours and to purchase tickets, visit SeaWorldSanDiego.com.
