Nature; No. 1107; A Sea Otter Story: Warm Hearts and Cold Water

<v Narrator>This is a story about growing up. <v Narrator>For a young otter. Childhood is the best time of its life. <v Narrator>For months, it receives intense nurturing protection and love from <v Narrator>its mother. <v Narrator>An otter pup must be taught how to survive. <v Narrator>And its mother handles this job with patients and tenderness. <v Narrator>There are few creatures more devoted to their young than a mother. <v Narrator>That's what makes our story so touching. <v Narrator>It's about a young otter who's lost his mother. <v Narrator>The orphan is being raised by human parents who must teach the pup <v Narrator>everything an otter needs to know. <v Marcy Tarvet>When you're working as a pup, it's a one to one thing. <v Marcy Tarvet>I mean, they're looking at you and you're looking at them, you're mom you have a lot of responsibility. <v Marcy Tarvet>Their survival is based on how you raise them.

<v Narrator>Eventually, the day comes when they have to let them go. <v Narrator>They and we will discover if it can make it on its own. <v Host>Nature is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and by annual <v Host>financial support from viewers like you. <v Host>Your local gas company and America's natural gas industry fueling <v Host>power plans for a cleaner environment and by cañon quality <v Host>and innovation for the way we work and live. <v Host>Canon. <v Narrator>In the cold waters of the northern Pacific lives one of the year's most extraordinary

<v Narrator>creatures. It uses its nimble paws almost like hands. <v Narrator>And this highly intelligent animal cares for its young and surprisingly <v Narrator>tender ways. <v Narrator>This is the sea otter. <v Narrator>In the hands of an otter, a rock becomes a tool. <v Narrator>But this remarkable ability is only a small part of what makes <v Narrator>this animal so fascinating. <v Narrator>Their ocean home is.

<v Narrator>But it can also be harsh and dangerous. <v Narrator>This is a world full of challenges. <v Narrator>And it's here that our sea otter adventure on. <v Narrator>Once hunted nearly to extinction for their incomparable fur otters <v Narrator>are now a common sight floating in the kelp beds of central California. <v Narrator>Their distinctive personalities show through even when resting, each <v Narrator>otter seems to strike its own unique knapping pose. <v Narrator>This order anchors itself in a kelp blanket. <v Narrator>Not far away. Harbor seals bask in the sun. <v Narrator>A black oystercatchers searches for a snack on a wave washed shore.

<v Narrator>This is Big Sur, a 100 mile stretch of California wilderness, <v Narrator>a rugged and inaccessible shoreline, despite a winding scenic <v Narrator>highway high above. <v Narrator>In the chilly waters below a sea otter Groomes, its velvety fur, the densest <v Narrator>of any mammal. <v Narrator>They have more hairs in a few square inches than most dogs have on their <v Narrator>entire bodies. <v Narrator>They groom not only to keep clean, but also to fluff air into the pelt <v Narrator>for its this trapped air that keeps them dry and warm. <v Narrator>Like a creature dwelling in the treetops of a rainforest, the sea otter floats <v Narrator>above the canopy of an underwater jungle.

<v Narrator>Stems of giant kelp reach up 150 feet from the sea floor. <v Narrator>Growing faster than any other plant in the world. <v Narrator>This forest of kelp teams with life. <v Narrator>From the small and menacing to the large and amusing, some kelp residents <v Narrator>are appealing ways familiar, while others resemble creatures <v Narrator>from an alien planet. <v Narrator>Above this shadowy world floats the sea otter <v Narrator>adults weigh about 50 pounds. <v Narrator>One of the smallest marine mammals, most California otters never

<v Narrator>set foot on dry land. <v Narrator>They're so completely at home in the sea that they even bear their young here. <v Narrator>When possible, they keep their fearless paws dry in order to conserve <v Narrator>body heat. <v Narrator>Each individual seems to have its own favorite menu. <v Narrator>But as a group, they eat a wide variety of foods. <v Narrator>This one is taking advantage of one of the most readily obtained snacks. <v Narrator>Marine snails. <v Narrator>They are harvested like grapes from the vine. <v Narrator>Tucking several snails into the loose skin under its arm, the otter gleans

<v Narrator>the kelp from bottom to top. <v Narrator>Snails are easy to find, but their shells are hard to open. <v Narrator>Sea otters have an ingenious solution to this problem. <v Narrator>They use rocks as Anvil's. <v Narrator>They eat snails one after another. <v Narrator>Like people's snack on peanuts. <v Narrator>The Sea Otter is one of the very few animals that uses tools. <v Narrator>Some others use a rock to knock loose shellfish.

<v Narrator>Scavenging gold hangs around, hoping to snatch a scrap of food. <v Narrator>A comrade is here to take advantage of the other's hospitality <v Narrator>in a different way. <v Narrator>Sea otters usually dove 20 to 75 feet and stay down <v Narrator>about a minute. <v Narrator>It's looking for some small tidbit uncovered by the otters, excavations

<v Narrator>of all the creatures in the sea otters are the only ones able to turn over <v Narrator>heavy rocks in search of octopus, crabs, urchins or <v Narrator>other shellfish. And the Gomera hopes to find a meal of its own <v Narrator>in the process. <v Narrator>The Kormoran can match the order for depth, but not for the duration of its <v Narrator>dives. Growing short of breath, it heads for the surface. <v Narrator>The otter surfaces with one of its favorite foods, a sea urchin. <v Narrator>The stiff spines are no match for the otters, dexterous paws and <v Narrator>sturdy teeth.

<v Narrator>Sea urchins are also prized as a delicacy by people in parts <v Narrator>of California. Outside the otters, present range urchins are harvested <v Narrator>commercially, primarily for export to Japan, where the row brings <v Narrator>top dollar. <v Narrator>Orders have been gone from some areas for more than a century, and urchins have <v Narrator>grown abundant in their absence in recent years. <v Narrator>The orders have started to return to these areas, and fishermen now worry <v Narrator>that all the sea urchins soon will be gone. <v Narrator>It's a conflict also felt by divers who harvest another of the otters <v Narrator>favorite foods. Abalone. <v Speaker B>Clearly, we are hunter gatherers.

<v Speaker B>We're going out and harvesting wild stocks, but we're doing it very selectively. <v Speaker B>We swim down. We look at each individual before it's taken. <v Speaker B>It's measured. So there's a minimal amount of disruption to those <v Speaker B>animals and to the substrates. <v Speaker B>So it's actually a very selective fishery. <v Speaker B>We don't use traps. We don't use nets. <v Speaker B>We're not dragging equipment across the bottom. <v Speaker B>It's a pretty clean activity. <v Speaker B>We often think of ourselves as is tending gardens under water. <v Speaker B>And it's very much like that. <v Narrator>Sea otters love abalone and they forage for them, much like human <v Narrator>divers. <v Narrator>But otters placed no limits on the number or size of their catch <v Narrator>as a result within the orders range. <v Narrator>There are comparatively few abalone and those that remain are <v Narrator>to be found only in deep crevices.

<v Narrator>Many dives to the same spot may be necessary to dislodge the abalones <v Narrator>powerful suction grip. <v Narrator>A large abalone is worth the extra effort. <v Narrator>It takes a lot of calories to keep an otter warm. <v Narrator>An adult may need more than 20 pounds of food a day. <v Narrator>This big appetite has a major impact on the shellfish population.

<v Narrator>Bits of debris drift from the auteur's feast. <v Narrator>But they do not go unnoticed. <v Narrator>A scrap of abalone is a sizable meal for this lucky kelp bass. <v Narrator>Sea otters are remarkable divers able to plunge 300 feet deep <v Narrator>and they can stay down for nearly four minutes without a breath. <v Narrator>Wherever they forage and abalone, this large is an uncommon <v Narrator>treasure.

<v Narrator>Sea otters belly is also its dinner table. <v Narrator>A bed of abalone ready to spawn. <v Narrator>From small holes in their shells, females spew out eggs by the millions

<v Narrator>while nearby males discharge their sperm. <v Narrator>These emissions can also occur in an artificial environment. <v Narrator>The cultivation of marine organisms is called mariculture. <v Narrator>These tiny abalone are being fattened up on their favorite food. <v Narrator>Live kelp. It takes several years to reach market size. <v Narrator>But the future of this enterprise looks promising. <v Narrator>It remains to be seen, however, whether abalone mariculture will ease <v Narrator>the conflict between sea otters and fisherman. <v Narrator>And the expanse of this wild shore, such controversy seem remote <v Narrator>from the orders that while away a sunny afternoon socializing, <v Narrator>this female has recently come into heat and a nearby male responds.

<v Narrator>Her scent can be detected from a great distance. <v Narrator>He finds the attraction irresistible. <v Narrator>They began a tumultuous courtship. <v Narrator>During this time, the male rarely lets the female out of his sight. <v Narrator>And the pair mates frequently.

<v Narrator>He often grips are roughly by the nose, which amazingly may trigger <v Narrator>hormones that help her to conceive. <v Narrator>Sometimes the male's courtship can be dangerously rough. <v Narrator>But this female emerges from the affair a little worse for wear <v Narrator>except for a very sore nose. <v Narrator>Within a day or two, the pair separates the female, finds a protected <v Narrator>cove where she can rest undisturbed and nurse her tender <v Narrator>wound. <v Narrator>It will be many months before this female gives birth.

<v Narrator>And her mate will take no part in the care of the offspring. <v Narrator>He goes off to find other females within his territory. <v Narrator>Soon, each will face a new challenge. <v Narrator>The rough weather and heavy seas of winter along the Big Sur <v Narrator>coast. <v Narrator>Yet even in the midst of a violent storm, the resilient order thrives. <v Narrator>The storm's fury gradually subsides.

<v Narrator>Some others have taken shelter in a protected cold. <v Narrator>A two week old pup gets all of its nutrition from his mother's milk. <v Narrator>In order to feed herself, she must leave the pub behind to float <v Narrator>like a fluffy cork. <v Narrator>Foraging dove takes her deep below the impatient cut. <v Narrator>As the seconds tick by, the pup begins to worry and to <v Narrator>wonder. <v Narrator>She sees that the pup is no longer where she left him, but his distress

<v Narrator>calls helped guide her to him. <v Narrator>With the pup now securely in tow, she heads for the companionship <v Narrator>of a nearby raft of otters. <v Narrator>In the next five months, his mother will be his cradle, his provider <v Narrator>and ultimately his teacher. <v Narrator>The path must learn from her, how to use his instincts to survive <v Narrator>in the sea. <v Narrator>Bad weather can be the sea otters worst enemy, even adults can be killed <v Narrator>in a storm. <v Narrator>A pub that loses its mother at sea would have little chance of survival

<v Narrator>and the harsh wind and cold water of the Pacific. <v Narrator>A mother's protection can take many forms. <v Narrator>This orphan has been adopted by a new mom, Julie Heimer, <v Narrator>at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. <v Narrator>In the two days since she was found washed up on a nearby beach, she has grown <v Narrator>comfortable in her new surroundings and quite attached to her new <v Narrator>mother. <v Narrator>Care for this two week old pup must continue. <v Narrator>Around the clock. It's an exhausting schedule because each pup responds <v Narrator>best to care from only one or two people. <v Narrator>Unlike most orphaned otters, this one will someday return to the sea.

<v Narrator>Her future depends on the guidance she'll receive from her human mother. <v Narrator>Preparing the orphan for release eight months from now requires many hours <v Narrator>of training, but for the time being, our pup can rest, secure <v Narrator>in the comfort of a mother's embrace. <v Narrator>Now, Marcy Tarvet that takes her shift with the pup hours of care <v Narrator>each day are spent grooming the orphans fluffy infant Kote. <v Narrator>Caring for an orphan otter is a very demanding job.

<v Narrator>But despite the long shifts, there are few complaints. <v Narrator>In the kelp beds outside the Monterey Bay Aquarium whid sea otter mothers <v Narrator>have their hands full too. <v Narrator>Sea otters have few predators, but there is one major threat <v Narrator>to their survival. <v Narrator>Only 50 miles to the south of the otters present range. <v Narrator>There are conspicuous reminders that oil development is a fact of <v Narrator>life on the California coast. <v Narrator>One large spill could wipe out many, perhaps all, of California's <v Narrator>sea otters.

<v Narrator>In an effort to be better prepared for a big oil spill, the Fish and Game <v Narrator>Department is studying wild orders. <v Narrator>Today, they set out to capture and tag one as it lounges in the kelp. <v Narrator>Divers use special gear, underwater scooters and capture nets. <v Narrator>Instead of scuba gear, these divers must use rebreather as units <v Narrator>that don't emit bubbles that might rise to the surface and give them away. <v Narrator>The unsuspecting order is in for a surprise as the diver prepares

<v Narrator>to scoop it up from underneath. <v Narrator>A captive sea otter can put up a good fight and there are formidable <v Narrator>teeth are carefully avoided, <v Narrator>colored flipper tags will allow the otters, movements and habits to be traced <v Narrator>throughout its life, which can span 15 to 20 years. <v Narrator>By studying orders like these, researchers hope to gather information

<v Narrator>that will better prepare them to deal with a catastrophe like the one we <v Narrator>all witnessed in March 1989. <v Narrator>Television viewers watched in horror as the Exxon Valdez <v Narrator>leaked 10 million gallons of crude oil into the coastal waters <v Narrator>of southern Alaska. <v Narrator>It was a disaster for wildlife. <v Narrator>It killed countless waterfowl and other seabirds. <v Narrator>And it was the first bill to affect sea otters in the Pacific. <v Narrator>As the toxic booze washed up on many beaches, the end for <v Narrator>some came quickly despite rescue efforts.

<v Narrator>Multitudes of those less fortunate suffered lingering ugly <v Narrator>deaths. <v Narrator>The otters became the symbol of this tragedy and millions of dollars were <v Narrator>spent trying to save those left clinging to life. <v Narrator>Eventually, six thousand perished nearly four times the <v Narrator>number of otters in all of California. <v Narrator>Our voracious appetite for oil has many costs. <v Narrator>Although sea otters are associated more with California. <v Narrator>Alaska is the true heartland of their range here and the otter mother <v Narrator>cares for her pup. Among the icebergs. <v Narrator>A neighboring group of males plays king of the Mountain Alaskan style.

<v Narrator>When the water is this cold, even an iceberg is an inviting spot <v Narrator>for a mother to rest with her. <v Narrator>But to prosper here, she must travel. <v Narrator>In the open waters outside the fjord. <v Narrator>Sea otters congregate. By the dozens. <v Narrator>It may look like they're scratching fleas, but they're grooming themselves,

<v Narrator>and Otter's fastidious grooming habit is what keeps it alive in these frigid <v Narrator>temperatures for proper insulation. <v Narrator>Their coats must be kept immaculate. <v Narrator>Unlike their California relatives, Alaskan otters are quite at home <v Narrator>on dry land and they're slightly larger. <v Narrator>Sea otters can now be found in Alaska in astounding numbers, <v Narrator>but they were once abundant. From Alaska to Mexico. <v Narrator>Then in the 18th and 19th centuries, fur hunters arrived.

<v Narrator>Russians were followed by waves of English and American traders. <v Narrator>A hundred years slaughter ensued. <v Narrator>Driven by the astronomical prices that have pelts such as this would bring in <v Narrator>Europe and in the royal courts of China. <v Narrator>By 1911, when laws finally halted commercial hunting, there <v Narrator>were precious few otters left in all of Alaska. <v Narrator>These and the few that escaped slaughter in California were the last survivors <v Narrator>in North America. <v Narrator>Since then, sea otters have made an incredible recovery. <v Narrator>There are now about eighteen hundred in California and more than 160000

<v Narrator>in Alaska, where rafts of about a thousand animals can still <v Narrator>be found. <v Narrator>One of the staples in the otter's diet can be found on the mudflats at low tide. <v Narrator>Mussels and clams. <v Narrator>Finding clams requires a new approach. <v Narrator>Instead of using twos, otters burrow deep into the mud, nearly <v Narrator>disappearing into the large cavity they create. <v Narrator>They rode to watch debris from their fur.

<v Narrator>Some people feel that otters eat shellfish that should be reserved for humans. <v Narrator>They claim that otters sometimes put people out of work and in a few places, they're <v Narrator>probably right. But the orders are often blamed unfairly. <v Narrator>Near the town of Cordova, clam canneries once did a booming business. <v Narrator>Now, like slender grave markers, the rotting peers stand derelict. <v Narrator>Their canneries were abandoned when the clams vanished. <v Narrator>Many fishermen blame the otters, but other factors were also at work. <v Narrator>In 1964, there was a very powerful earthquake here, warping <v Narrator>long stretches of Alaskan coastline and drowning seaside trees. <v Narrator>It was the massive earthquake that destroyed many of the clams. <v Narrator>When the land shifted and the water level changed, that is why the

<v Narrator>canneries failed in this case. <v Narrator>There's little doubt of the otters innocence. <v Narrator>Many Alaskan otters live in the shadows of enormous glaciers, immense

<v Narrator>frozen rivers of solid ice. <v Narrator>Over time, measured in centuries, this awesome mass has drawn toward the <v Narrator>sea here, an ice wall nearly 10 stories tall <v Narrator>finally yields to the irresistible forces of gravity. <v Narrator>SEALs and otters more than 100 yards away respond to the disturbance. <v Narrator>The shock waves travel more than a mile to reach this group of lounging harbor

<v Narrator>seals as the swell subsides, sea otters use the recently <v Narrator>fallen ice for sunbathing. <v Narrator>No one enjoys the respin more than the other, mothers and their young, <v Narrator>a small pup, spends much of the day up on its mother's belly where <v Narrator>it's protected from the cold. <v Narrator>In the immensity of the Alaskan wilderness. <v Narrator>Sea otters can rest easy. <v Narrator>Their future seems secure. <v Narrator>In the midst of this frigid and forbidding landscape, mother and pup find <v Narrator>comfort in the warm bond that unites them.

<v Narrator>In California, the orphan pub looks to her human mothers for soulless <v Narrator>ice cubes Zaara cooling snack that keeps the pups busy while Marcey <v Narrator>meticulously grooms her coat. <v Narrator>It's difficult to duplicate the maternal relationships as she explains. <v Narrator>Being a sea otter mother is a uniquely rewarding occupation. <v Marcy Tarvet>When you're working with a pup, it's a one to one thing. <v Marcy Tarvet>I mean, they're looking at you and you're looking at them and you're mom, you know, <v Marcy Tarvet>you've a lot of responsibility. <v Marcy Tarvet>You're a person's gonna make them happy or make them sad. <v Marcy Tarvet>So it's it's a real touching thing to be working with. <v Marcy Tarvet>It's not like any other marine mammal I've worked with because of other marine mammals, <v Marcy Tarvet>really independent. And that's why it should be with a sea otter pup. <v Marcy Tarvet>You're teaching it or you're imitating mom and you have a big responsibility.

<v Marcy Tarvet>Your your survival is based on how you raise them. <v Narrator>Marcy mimics the sound and movements of a real otter mother. <v Narrator>Hiding pieces of food within the kelp introduces the pup to the idea <v Narrator>of foraging. <v Narrator>Making a game of the feeding sessions keeps the youngster interested by <v Narrator>forcing her to work for a meal. <v Narrator>The upsurges enthusiastically confident that Marcey will eventually <v Narrator>lift the empty shell and reveal the food hidden underneath. <v Narrator>Thanks to the affection and care of people like Marcy, this pup is now ready <v Narrator>to move outside for the next step toward her return

<v Narrator>to the wild. <v Narrator>Summer arrives on the Big Sur coast. <v Narrator>This wild otter pup has just begun to get up the nerve to explore <v Narrator>a bit. Wild mother forages. <v Narrator>His reliance on his mother goes far beyond food. <v Narrator>He seeks out her tender embrace, almost like a child reaching <v Narrator>up to be hugged once safely aboard <v Narrator>the pup grooms contentedly. <v Narrator>He's in good hands. <v Narrator>As he matures, he will learn everything he needs to know from his mother.

<v Narrator>Back at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, our orphaned pup has outgrown the indoor <v Narrator>nursery. And Julie Heimer prepares her for her first swim <v Narrator>outside the protective tide pool area in front of the aquarium <v Narrator>is the perfect spot to gently introduce her to this new and intimidating <v Narrator>world. <v Narrator>As Julie explains. Great care is taken to make this first experience in the <v Narrator>open water a positive one. <v Julie Heimer>The first time we take a young pup to the tide pool <v Julie Heimer>generally turns out to be a very short session because the pup is kind of nervous. <v Julie Heimer>She doesn't recognize the smells or the visual <v Julie Heimer>walkway up above. There's a lot of new things that this little pup

<v Julie Heimer>has seen, but she is already scared and we're carrying her through the aquarium <v Julie Heimer>from the Sea otter nursery out to the tide pool downstairs. <v Julie Heimer>And we basically just sit on the rock and put it on our lab. <v Narrator>There are many new sights and sounds out here, but the pop remains <v Narrator>calm, if perhaps a little apprehensive. <v Narrator>With the innocent trust of an infant, she joins Julie in the water. <v Narrator>Despite her parents. <v Narrator>They float together, getting used to the water.

<v Narrator>They nuzzle each other, which reassures the nervous pup. <v Narrator>Although still too young and fluffy to dive to the bottom, she will do her best <v Narrator>to follow mom's every move. <v Narrator>It will take Juli's helping hand to get the buoyant pup to the bottom.

<v Narrator>In the wild, an otter pup, nearly five months old, has an appetite <v Narrator>that keeps his mother busy finding food. <v Narrator>Like a human mother who teaches favorite recipes to her children. <v Narrator>A mother sea otter passes on her particular foraging skills to her <v Narrator>yard. This youngster, like his mom, is developing a taste <v Narrator>for crabs. <v Narrator>Our pup, now nearly half grown, gets daily training sessions

<v Narrator>exposed to as many different foods as possible. <v Julie Heimer>They're watchers. <v Julie Heimer>They're going to watch their mother. So it's important that we continue to follow through <v Julie Heimer>with the behaviors foraging to using. <v Julie Heimer>These are behaviors that the pup would observe the mother doing. <v Julie Heimer>Each day round the clock, <v Julie Heimer>unable to hold her breath quite as long as an otter. <v Narrator>Julie returns to the surface, where she tries to round out the lesson <v Narrator>with a simple exercise in collecting snails. <v Narrator>Maintaining the pups interest can be one of the most difficult and frustrating <v Narrator>aspects of this vital tutoring.

<v Julie Heimer>These pups develop day after day. <v Julie Heimer>Their skills increase with our training. <v Julie Heimer>So they're constantly changing and growing up. <v Julie Heimer>We need to keep up with that. We always try to be one step ahead of them with stimulation <v Julie Heimer>and development. <v Narrator>Julie's responsibilities include the feeding of four captive otters <v Narrator>and one of the most popular exhibits at the aquarium. <v Narrator>These orders are also orphans.

<v Narrator>They were brought to the aquarium before the release program began. <v Narrator>Their charisma is irresistible. <v Narrator>There's something delightful about them that appeals to the child in all of us. <v Narrator>The otters] charm is big business in places like the aquarium <v Narrator>gift shop. <v Narrator>Interest in otter merchandise goes hand in hand with curiosity <v Narrator>about her life and the ocean they inhabit. <v Narrator>Otters have become conservation ambassadors.

<v Narrator>They're a central part of a multi-million dollar tourist industry that now <v Narrator>thrives along California's central coast. <v Narrator>In Monterrey, otters have become stars. <v Narrator>They even serve as mascots for a local Japanese sushi restaurant. <v Narrator>Here, ceramic boats shaped like otters deliver seafood to diners <v Narrator>and empty abalone shell becomes a plate. <v Narrator>The preparation may be different, but the fresh seafood served here are similar <v Narrator>to those on an otter's menu. <v Narrator>A few sea otters in Monterrey have become so accustomed to people that they make

<v Narrator>their home in the busy harbor, foraging on shellfish that grow <v Narrator>under the docks. The ingenious order is surprisingly adaptable. <v Narrator>At the aquarium, Julie is out for a swim with the book now nearly <v Narrator>full grown during a swim. <v Julie Heimer>One could only hope that you actually get to see your pup pick up a prey item <v Julie Heimer>and take it to the surface. I mean, that's what we've been striving for months. <v Julie Heimer>And when she actually goes down and <v Julie Heimer>picks up a crab or an abalone or a clam, that <v Julie Heimer>is letting us know that we have reached time of release. <v Julie Heimer>It's exciting when we actually teach him something. <v Narrator>This pup has passed with flying colors. <v Narrator>Now she's ready for the real thing.

<v Narrator>No more lessons. No more tests. <v Narrator>On the day of her release, Julie and her staff watched from a distance. <v Narrator>The puppies moved to the adjacent beach. <v Narrator>And when all is ready, she's coaxed into the light. <v Narrator>The pup heads out into her new world. <v Narrator>She leaves behind the home where she grew. <v Narrator>For those on shore, it is not easy to watch her go. <v Julie Heimer>I think the entire staff, including volunteers, they understand the objective <v Julie Heimer>of what the program is and that is to return the sea otter pups to their natural <v Julie Heimer>environment. We are going to create a [unclear] with them. <v Julie Heimer>We're going to play mommy for six to eight months. <v Julie Heimer>You know what the ultimate goal is that it joins a wild raft and then sexually <v Julie Heimer>mature. It will reproduce.

<v Julie Heimer>Well, that's the tough part. Even though the animals are cute and cuddly when they come <v Julie Heimer>in, letting them go. <v Julie Heimer>What does the future hold for our. <v Julie Heimer>Now that she's out on her own? <v Narrator>Sadly, many of the rescued orphans don't survive to adulthood. <v Narrator>But with some luck, Sheila just quickly took her new life back in the <v Narrator>wild. The training she received at the aquarium seems to have paid <v Narrator>off. And she hunts for food with confidence. <v Narrator>Abalone is only one of the many shellfish.

<v Narrator>She's learned how to find. <v Narrator>But soon she may have more than food on her mind. <v Narrator>In several years, our club will be ready to start a family of our own. <v Narrator>Will her human training be adequate to prepare her for motherhood? <v Narrator>This male has shown some interest in her. <v Narrator>It's the promise of a new chapter in the sea otter story. <v Narrator>Our pup may someday pass on to her own youngsters their care <v Narrator>and training she received from a human mother. <v Narrator>Perhaps the best part of this story is just beginning. <v Host>Nature is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and by annual <v Host>financial support from viewers like you.

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