Sea Otter Moms Use Kelp to Anchor Babies While They Dive

Quick Take

• Sea otters are aquatic animals with a surprising gap in their instincts that forces mothers into a constant, exhausting workaround. Why pups can't swim →
• The one thing keeping a sea otter pup warm isn't what you'd expect from a marine mammal, and that surprising fact creates a major vulnerability. How pups stay warm →
• When a mother otter has to hunt, she faces a dilemma that kelp solves in a way no other marine mammal relies on. How kelp helps mothers hunt →
• Leaving a pup alone in open water sounds reckless, but that changes once you understand the specific property of kelp that makes it work. See how kelp anchors pups →

It seems like otters and humans have very similar ways to raise their young. Just like how we swaddle our babies, otters do the same with seaweed. This is just one example of what makes otters such great parents. This YouTube video by The Dodo explains more about otter mothers and how they take care of their young.

Why Sea Otters Swaddle Their Young

Just like human babies, sea otter pups can be a handful. Unlike other aquatic animals, sea otters aren’t born instinctually knowing how to swim. Because of this, they rely on their mothers practically 24/7. Mother sea otters carry their pups around, as shown in the video above, and are always vigilant in protecting them from predators. Pups depend on their mothers not only for transportation but also to stay warm. Sea otters don’t have blubber to keep them warm, but instead have dense and insulating fur. The mother grooms and maintains her pup’s fur to ensure it stays comfortable and healthy. However, all of this work can be difficult, especially when she needs to hunt for food. To keep her pup safe while she hunts, the mother swaddles it in seaweed, allowing her to focus on finding their next meal.

Looking for food can be dangerous for sea otter mothers. These animals often hunt underwater by diving for food. However, since the mother can’t bring her pup with her, she needs to leave them in a safe place before she returns. This is where the seaweed comes into play. Seaweeds and kelp can act like a natural anchor. Once the mother wraps her baby in kelp, the seaweed acts as an anchor, preventing wind and currents from carrying the pup away. While sea otter pups can’t swim very well, being wrapped up helps ensure they don’t accidentally move around too much. This is one of the simple ways that otters use the environment around them to their advantage, and what better way to do so than by swaddling and caring for their young!