Welcome to the raft, Opal!

Thanks to nearly 30,000 participants who voted in our poll, we’re otter-ly excited to introduce our newest southern sea otter, Opal.

Our team is already hard at work training Opal to join Ivy, Selka, and Ruby on exhibit. They describe Opal as smart, sassy, confident, and protective — an otter that watches out for her raft.

We can hardly wait for you to meet this gem; stay tuned for updates on the timeline for her official debut!

In addition to enchanting visitors and showing off for the exhibit livecam, Opal has a big part to play in the conservation of her species. Opal may act as a surrogate mother to orphaned sea otter pups as part of our sea otter surrogacy program. Though Opal was deemed unreleasable by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after she was rescued as a stranded pup, she may give young pups a second chance by teaching them the skills they need to survive in the wild, like grooming and foraging. 

Our work with sea otters has a real impact on their survival — and the vital coastal habitats they call home — as the two are inextricably linked. The southern sea otter is a keystone species, which means that their health is a good indication of the health of other species and ecosystems nearby. 

Together, we can work to revitalize our wild southern sea otter population so California’s kelp forests and other marine habitats are healthy and thriving. Thanks to generous contributions from donors, Monterey Bay Aquarium is finishing construction on a brand new Sea Otter Conservation Center which expands our ability to rescue and rehabilitate sea otters.

Join our donors and support our work with otters like Opal! Your gift, large or small, will help advance our innovative efforts to recover California's threatened sea otter population.