#seaotter #otter #kpassionate
A rescued sea otter breaking ice treats while sitting in a bucket is just as cute as it sounds. In fact, my video of a sea otter named Kunik banging her ice treats was named the top video that made people smile in 2021!! It beat out big names like Ed Sheeran and Noodle the Pug!
In the wild, sea otters will often use tools like rocks to crack into the hard shells of clams, mussels, and abalone. However, it’s difficult to give oysters on the half-shell to marine mammals under human care. The seafood has to be carefully inspected for quality and freshness. In fact, their food is required to meet FDA standards for high end restaurants! But these sea otters still have a desire to break things by bashing them together, which is just one of the reasons they love ice so much.
This particular sea otter was found by the U.S. Coast Guard stranded on Homer Spit, Alaska. She was only days old and it was determined she was tragically separated from her mother and unable to survive on her own. She was rescued and taken to the Alaskan SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska where she was named Kunik, which is the word in Inuktitut for a traditional Inuit greeting, or “kiss.”
Typically, juvenile sea otters stay with their mothers for 6 to 7 months where they learn important skills such as foraging and grooming. Since Kunik never learned these skills, she was deemed non-releasable by marine biologists at the NOAA after they determined she was unlikely to survive in the wild.
The good news is this ice loving sea otter has thrived under human care, going viral on YouTube. Kunik has inspired millions to care about ocean conservation and the survival of her species.
Learn more about the sea otters I’ve worked with here →
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