Sea otters are highly active marine mustelids with intense foraging needs and specialized thermal requirements in zoo and aquarium settings.
Sea otter welfare in aquarium settings requires intensive enrichment provision given their naturally high activity and foraging time budgets. Foraging enrichment using clams, crabs, and urchins presented in ways that require manipulation and problem-solving engages natural predatory and tool-use behaviors. Tool use enrichment using rocks and surfaces for shellfish cracking provides species-specific cognitive stimulation. Water quality management is critical — sea otters must maintain fur condition for thermal insulation, and water quality affects fur integrity. Social housing with compatible individuals reflects their naturally semi-social behavior in kelp forest habitats. The high caloric requirements of sea otters make nutritional management important — inadequate diet rapidly affects body condition and fur quality.