Sea Otter Awareness Week 2027 is expected to run from Sunday, September 19, to Saturday, September 25, 2027. The week is held every year in the last full week of September, led by Defenders of Wildlife and partners such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
This guide covers who runs it, key sea otter facts, ways to take part, and the dates for future years.
Key takeaways
- Sea Otter Awareness Week 2027 is expected on September 19–25, 2027, the last full week of September.
- The organizers usually confirm the dates and theme in the summer; the 2026 theme was “Rooted in Resilience.”
- Southern sea otters in California have been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 1977.
- About 90% of the world’s sea otters live in coastal Alaska.
Sea Otter Awareness Week 2027 at a glance
- Dates: Sunday, September 19 – Saturday, September 25, 2027 (expected).
- The rule: the last full Sunday-to-Saturday week of September.
- Organizers: Defenders of Wildlife, Sea Otter Savvy, California State Parks, the Elakha Alliance, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
- Focus: sea otter conservation and the kelp forests and estuaries that otters protect.
- Where: events along the US Pacific coast, plus online.
Table of Contents
When is Sea Otter Awareness Week 2027?
Sea Otter Awareness Week 2027 is expected to run from Sunday, September 19, to Saturday, September 25, 2027. Defenders of Wildlife holds the week in “the last full week of September,” and in 2027 that is September 19–25, because September 26–October 2 runs into October.
The 2026 week ran September 20–26, 2026. The organizers confirm each year’s dates on the Defenders of Wildlife website, usually by late summer, so check there before you plan an event.
In 2027, Sea Otter Awareness Week falls on the same days as Tolkien Week. Every September 2027 date is in the 2027 calendar.
What is Sea Otter Awareness Week?
Sea Otter Awareness Week is a yearly week of events that teaches people about sea otters and their role in the ocean. Zoos, aquariums, parks, schools, and conservation groups run talks, viewing sessions, and online programs.
Each year has a theme. The 2026 theme, “Rooted in Resilience,” focused on the links between sea otters, kelp forests, and the coastal communities that depend on healthy oceans (Defenders of Wildlife). The 2027 theme has not been announced.
Sea otter facts
Sea otters are the largest members of the weasel family and spend almost their whole lives in the sea. These facts come from the US Department of the Interior:
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Otter species worldwide | 13 |
| Sea otter weight | About 45–90 pounds |
| Share of the world’s sea otters living in coastal Alaska | About 90% |
| Hair follicles per square inch of fur | 600,000 to 1,000,000 |
| Food eaten each day | About 25% of body weight |
| Deepest dives for food | Up to 250 feet |
| Time pups stay with their mothers | About 6 months |
| Largest raft of sea otters seen floating together | More than 1,000 |
Sea otters have no blubber, so their thick fur keeps them warm. They float on their backs, use rocks to crack open shellfish, and keep a favorite rock in a loose pocket of skin under the arm.
Sea otters are a keystone species: they eat sea urchins, which would otherwise overgraze kelp forests. Where otters return, kelp forests can recover, and so can the fish and other animals that live in them.
Are sea otters endangered?
Southern sea otters, the population that lives in California, have been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. The last range-wide count reported by the Marine Mammal Commission found about 2,962 southern sea otters in 2019 (Marine Mammal Commission).
Sea otters once numbered an estimated 150,000 to 300,000 across the North Pacific, before the fur trade began in the mid-1700s. Hunting left only about 2,000, until the 1911 International Fur Seal Treaty gave them their first protection (US Department of the Interior).
Today’s main threats include shark bites, disease, oil spills, pollution, harmful algal blooms, and getting caught in fishing gear. Southern sea otters live in only about 13% of their historic range, from Monterey Bay to Point Conception.
Sea Otter Awareness Week activities
You can take part in Sea Otter Awareness Week in person, online, or at home. Most activities are free.
- Visit a viewing station: organizers set up spotting scopes and volunteers along the California coast during the week.
- Watch a live sea otter camera: several aquariums, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium, stream their otters all year.
- Join an online talk: Defenders of Wildlife and Sea Otter Savvy host virtual sessions on otter science and recovery.
- Run a school or club event: zoos, schools, and community groups can hold their own talks, art projects, or story sessions.
- Watch from a distance: if you see wild sea otters, stay at least 60 feet away, about 5 kayak lengths, so you do not disturb them.
Is there a sea otter awareness day or month?
No, there is no official sea otter awareness day or month. Sea Otter Awareness Week in September is the main sea otter observance.
The closest day is World Otter Day, which covers all 13 otter species. The International Otter Survival Fund holds it on the last Wednesday of May, which is Wednesday, May 26, 2027. Other wildlife weeks in 2027 are listed in the Awareness Calendar 2027.
Sea Otter Awareness Week dates 2025 to 2031
The table follows the last-full-week-of-September rule. Dates from 2027 onward are expected until the organizers confirm them.
| Year | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sunday, September 21 – Saturday, September 27 | Held |
| 2026 | Sunday, September 20 – Saturday, September 26 | Held |
| 2027 | Sunday, September 19 – Saturday, September 25 | Expected |
| 2028 | Sunday, September 24 – Saturday, September 30 | Expected |
| 2029 | Sunday, September 23 – Saturday, September 29 | Expected |
| 2030 | Sunday, September 22 – Saturday, September 28 | Expected |
| 2031 | Sunday, September 21 – Saturday, September 27 | Expected |
Frequently asked questions
When is Sea Otter Awareness Week 2027?
Sea Otter Awareness Week 2027 is expected to run from Sunday, September 19, to Saturday, September 25, 2027.
Who organizes Sea Otter Awareness Week?
Defenders of Wildlife leads the week with Sea Otter Savvy, California State Parks, the Elakha Alliance, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Are sea otters endangered in 2027?
Southern sea otters in California are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, a status they have held since 1977.
Why are sea otters important?
Sea otters eat sea urchins, which keeps urchins from destroying kelp forests. Healthy kelp forests shelter fish and protect coastlines.
What is a female sea otter called?
A female sea otter is called a sow, a male is a boar, and a baby is a pup.
When is World Otter Day 2027?
World Otter Day 2027 is Wednesday, May 26, 2027, the last Wednesday of May.
