Thursday February 23, 2023
Monterey Herald —
If one playful otter splashing in the sea can brighten your day, imagine what 200 can do.
Large numbers of the beloved and charismatic sea otters have posted up in the kelp just off the shores of Cannery Row, drawing the attention of recreators, aquarium visitors and conservationists alike. Whether the otters are transient or permanent new residents remains to be seen.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium said they’ve counted up to 200 sea otters from Hopkins Marine Station to Monterey Harbor.
“It’s not unusual to see groups of this size, it’s just this really cool thing where people can now see it off the back deck of the aquarium or off the rec trail,” said Leilani Konrad, a research biologist in the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s sea otter program who has the honor of being a regular otter counter.