Never Underestimate the Importance of Aunties

Via Monterey Bay Aquarium, which writes:

Ivy helps Willow grow to new heights. 🌿☀️

Before new otters Suri and Willow joined our exhibit, the pair spent several weeks settling in behind-the-scenes with the help of our animal care team.

While Suri proved to be a bit more confident, cautious Willow was slower to warm up to her new home. But the moment she met Ivy, Willow’s confidence bloomed! 💚🌷

At 14, Ivy is currently our oldest (and blondest!) exhibit otter. Her mature, mellow presence helped Willow relax and we saw her confidence grow! Ivy was instrumental in helping her acclimate to her new home.

Willow’s already branched out after her first few weeks on exhibit. She’s spending more time with lively youngster Opal, while Suri’s totally captivated by our confident and clever Selka. Their care team has even noticed Suri mimicking her new mentor!

In the wild, southern sea otters like ours live in social groups called rafts, floating through the waves with fellow female companions of many different ages and temperaments. 🦦 The ever-changing relationships between our non-releasable otters give us humans a rare and precious peek at the unique social dynamics of this beloved species.