Sea Otter Awareness Week

September 22 – 28, 2024

Annually, throughout the last full week of September, we celebrate sea otters during Sea Otter Awareness Week. We encourage zoological and educational institutions, governmental agencies and communities to plan and undertake events that highlight sea otters. These activities include sharing stories, disseminating science and generating media that inspire a deeper awareness of these unique marine mammals, their ecological importance and the many challenges they face.

Sea Otter Awareness Week is organized and sponsored by Defenders of Wildlife, Sea Otter Savvy, California Department of Parks and Recreation, the Elakha Alliance, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

2024 Theme: Together We Thrive

This year’s Sea Otter Awareness Week theme highlights the interconnectedness of humans, sea otters and the environment. It encourages communities, organizations and individuals to work together for a healthier, more sustainable future.

Over the next 50 years, the transforming climate and detrimental actions by people will impose intense and undesirable effects on coastal habitats. Together We Thrive underscores how collective action can lead to significant positive impacts on sea otter conservation. It draws attention to the ways local communities, conservation groups, scientists and policymakers can join forces to tackle environmental challenges, establish sustainable practices and foster responsible stewardship of our natural resources.

If we cooperate, we can create a harmonious balance where sea otters flourish, coastal ecosystems achieve greater resilience and human communities realize the profound connections we share with the natural world.