Sea otters are arguably some of the most adorable creatures out there. Just look at their cute faces and tiny fuzzy bodies! Plus, they have a particular behavior that has captured hearts around the world. These fluffy creatures have been spotted holding each other’s paws and cuddling to prevent drifting away from one another while they sleep. This is not only heartwarming, but also part of a clever survival tactic.
Sticking together and standing their (watery) ground is key for sea otters. These creatures spend most of their time in the water—from hunting and eating to giving birth. When not holding onto each other, they also rely on tying up their babies with seaweed or entangling themselves on kelp forests. This also allows them to keep cozy since, as opposed to other sea animals, they don’t have a layer of blubber to fight off the cold.
Holding hands is just one of the many ways sea otters stay close to their group, which is known as a raft. These rafts can feature hundreds of individual otters, with some maybe grabbing a foot or holding onto a belly, or simply swimming to stay up close. This method of linking up keeps them safe from predators and conserves energy—which would otherwise be burned by trying to stay warm, as they can eat up to 25% of their weight every day to maintain their temperature. Rafts are also usually segregated by gender, with all the pups sticking with the females in a kind of floating nursery.
While this behavior has been spotted both in zoos and the wild, getting us some of the most endearing animal clips of all time, some scientists say that otters holding hands is very much a rare phenomenon. Gena Bentall, director and senior scientist of Sea Otter Savvy, points out that among experts from the west coast who had seen it happen in the wild, most of them have only witnessed it once or twice.
The most famous images of this phenomenon can be traced to the otters who live at the Vancouver Aquarium. First from a 2007 photo of otters Milo and Tanu video that went viral, and then again in 2011 when Milo took a break from chemotherapy by holding his pal’s hand in a tender moment.
This has also inspired zoos to create special enclosures to allow visitors to hold hands with an otter. Meanwhile, PBS captured some footage of mom and cub otters cuddling and swimming off the coast of California. Even if it’s uncommon, it is undeniably moving. It is hopefully also a heartwarming glimpse of the creatures that call the ocean home, and an eye-opening reminder of what’s at stake if we don’t take care of it.
Sea otters have been spotted holding each other’s paws and cuddling to prevent drifting away from one another while they sleep.
This also allows them to keep cozy since, as opposed to other sea animals, they don’t have a layer of blubber to fight off the cold.
While this behavior has been spotted both in zoos and the wild, some scientists say that otters holding hands is very much a rare phenomenon.
Even if it’s uncommon, it is an undeniably heartwarming glimpse of some creatures that call the ocean home, and a stark reminder of what’s at stake if we don’t take care of it.
Sources: Sea Otters Hold Hands While Sleeping and They Even Cuddle; Sea Otter Paw Holding: A Reality Check from the Scientists; Sea Otters Milo and Tanu Holding Paws; Sea Otters Holding Hands
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