Anne Marie @annemarieyolande - Tumblr Blog

Zugspitze - Author: RevolutionaryMeal734

Ivy helps Willow grow to new heights. 🌿☀️

Before new otters Suri and Willow joined our exhibit, the pair spent several weeks settling behind-the-scenes with our attentive animal care team.

While Suri jumped into new waters with confidence, cautious Willow was slower to warm up to her new home. But the moment she met Ivy, Willow’s confidence bloomed! 💚🌷 At 14, Ivy is currently our oldest (and blondest!) exhibit otter. Her mature, mellow presence helped Willow relax. From then on, acclimating to her new home was a breeze. 🌬️

Willow’s already branched out after her first few weeks on exhibit. She’s spending more time with lively youngster Opal, while Suri’s totally captivated by confident and clever Selka. Their care team has even noticed Suri mimicking her new mentor!

In the wild, southern sea otters like ours live in social groups called rafts, floating through the waves with fellow female companions of many different ages and temperaments. 🦦 The ever-changing relationships between our non-releasable otters give us humans a rare and precious peek at the unique social dynamics of this beloved species. Willow, Ivy, Suri, Selka, and Opal are all on exhibit together now. Otter spotters, have you noticed any fun interactions between them on exhibit or the Sea Otter Cam? 👀 Tell us in the comments!

Got plans this Mother’s Day weekend? Come see Willow and Ivy by reserving tickets to the Aquarium!