The otters, some of them rescued from oil spills and other disasters, get into the Halloween spirit early at Sea World with some special treats.
Five adorable female sea otters (Pumpkin, Mocha, Coca, Sina and Clover) enjoying some Halloween “treats” (frozen mussels, sea urchin, clam and shrimp,
OTTERS AT SEAWORLD ENJOY HALLOWEEN TREATS
Instead of candy bars, marshmallows and suckers, it’s more like clams, mussels and sea urchins!
WHAT: The California sea otters at SeaWorld® got special Halloween treats from their trainers, but instead of spooky and sweet, they were icy and fishy! Mimicking their natural behaviors in the wild, the otters broke apart their frozen treats, which included pumpkin-shaped bits of clam, shrimp, sea urchin and mussels, spread out for them in their own specially-designed pumpkin patch. Guests watched as the otters devoured their delicious meals. While the special decorations were provided for some Halloween fun, the otters at SeaWorld receive seafood every day as part of their regular diet and enrichment program. Sea otters have an extremely high metabolism rate, consuming about 25 to 30 percent of their body weight daily.
For kids 12 and younger looking for a more traditional Halloween treat (candy, that is!), they should come on out to SeaWorld in their best Halloween costume and trick or treat among a dozen sea-inspired stations. They can also take in Clyde & Seamore’s Big Halloween Bash, and enjoy pumpkin painting, not-too-spooky Halloween characters, cookie decorating and more during this final weekend of SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacuar (Oct. 31 and Nov. 1).
WHERE: SeaWorld San Diego
DETAILS: SeaWorld has a long history of caring for sea otters and currently cares for five that were taken in from the Sea Otter Research and Conservation program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The California sea otter is listed as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Threats include oil spills, entanglement in fishing nets and diseases. SeaWorld and Busch Gardens support conservation projects all over the world, including sea otter preservation, through the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund (www.swbg-conservationfund.org).
