A sea otter pup found swimming alone in open waters off northern Vancouver Island is now receiving round-the-clock care at the Vancouver Aquarium’s rescue facility.
The pup is estimated to be between two to four weeks old and was spotted by passersby on Sunday. It appears to be healthy but requires a high level of care due to its young age.
According to Lindsaye Akhurst, manager of the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre, sea otter pups typically spend the first six months of their life close to their mother, learning basic skills while being nursed and groomed.
“So this little guy is still a fully dependent pup,” said Akhurst. “He would not survive on his own, and we’re providing him with the care he needs right now.”
Reports provided to the rescue centre said the pup had been following a group of boaters while “vocalizing.” Seeing no adult sea otter in sight, the boaters collected the sea otter and contacted the federal Fisheries and Oceans Department upon arrival in Port Hardy. The department tapped the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre to help.
However, both DFO and and rescue centre staff reminded the public that distressed animals should be left alone and reported first; touching or capturing wild marine mammals is illegal.
“Once they’re removed from the wild, it’s impossible to determine if the mother is alive and if they could have been reunited, or if bringing him in was the appropriate action,” said Akhurst.
So far this season, the rescue centre has provided care for a California sea lion, a Steller sea lion pup, and 29 harbour seals. In 2016, more than 170 animals were rescued and cared for at the centre.
Earlier this month, the Vancouver Aquarium’s newly established Ocean Wise conservation program launched a lawsuit against the Vancouver park poard, claiming the board doesn’t have the jurisdiction to ban cetaceans at its Stanley Park facility.
The park board, under mounting pressure from various groups, had voted earlier in the spring to amend bylaws to ban any new cetaceans at the aquarium.
Staff at the aquarium and its rescue centre, however, say that could hamper rescue and rehabilitation efforts if no long-term home is available at the ready for non-releasable animals.
