Where can you see sea otters?
23 zoos worldwide, on a map and sortable by distance
Last checked: 2026-11-11 (23 zoos in 8 countries and territories)
Read this before you go
Sea otters live their whole lives at sea, floating on their backs and cracking shells with stones; they are a different animal from river otters. International protection makes new imports very hard, so fewer and fewer aquariums keep them: Japan is down to a single sea otter at Toba Aquarium, Taiwan has none, and most are in the United States. Every place here was checked against its own website or news, so check again before you go.
Sea otter zoos on a map
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Tap a pin for the zoo name, then "See details" to jump to its card. The map is provided by Google Maps, so Google receives a request when it loads; this site does not receive or store any location data.
All 23 zoos
Asia (1)
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Toba Aquarium
鳥羽水族館
Toba, Mie, Japan
Mei, Japan’s only sea otter in human care, returned to public viewing on November 11; check the latest notice before visiting.
Europe (4)
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National Aquarium Denmark, Den Blå Planet
Den Blå Planet, Danmarks Akvarium
Kastrup, Denmark
Watch rescued Alaskan sea otters in their outdoor habitat; check the daily programme for feeding sessions.
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Océanopolis
Brest, France
Watch North Pacific sea otters on the Otter Trail; European otters occupy a separate habitat.
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National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham
Birmingham, United Kingdom
See sea otters Ozzy and Ola in the marine mammal area; behind-the-scenes experiences cost extra.
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Lisbon Oceanarium
Oceanário de Lisboa
Lisbon, Portugal
See sea otters in the Pacific habitat with general admission.
North America (17)
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Aquarium du Québec
Quebec City, Canada
Meet four sea otters at Louphoque, with above-water and underwater views.
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Vancouver Aquarium
Vancouver, Canada
Meet rescued, non-releasable sea otters in the B.C. Wild Coast exhibit.
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Aquarium of the Pacific
Long Beach, United States
Watch sea otters from above the surface and through underwater viewing windows.
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Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Cincinnati, United States
Watch sea otters above and below the water at Sea Otter Coast.
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Detroit Zoo
Royal Oak, United States
See southern sea otters in the Arctic Ring of Life and check the day’s feeding schedule.
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Georgia Aquarium
Atlanta, United States
See southern sea otters in Cold Water Quest; close-up encounters require a separate ticket.
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Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium
Kansas City, United States
Sea otter viewing at Sobela Ocean Aquarium is included with zoo admission.
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Minnesota Zoo
Apple Valley, United States
See sea otters in Russia’s Grizzly Coast; backstage experiences need a separate reservation.
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Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey, United States
Watch sea otters above and below the water; individuals rotate behind the scenes to help care for rescued pups.
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New York Aquarium
New York, United States
See sea otters from the underwater viewing area at Sea Change while the front viewing panel at Sea Cliffs is covered for repairs.
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Oregon Coast Aquarium
Newport, United States
See a raft of male southern sea otters; check the daily schedule for public feedings.
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Oregon Zoo
Portland, United States
Watch sea otters swim and groom in the Steller Cove exhibit.
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Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
Pittsburgh, United States
Look for sea otters at Water’s Edge; close-up encounters require a separate booking.
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Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Tacoma, United States
See sea otters at Rocky Shores and check the zoo’s opening days before visiting.
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Seattle Aquarium
Seattle, United States
Meet Mishka, Ruby and Sekiu at the Pier 60 sea otter habitats.
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SeaWorld San Diego
San Diego, United States
See rescued sea otters at Otter Outlook; close-up encounters require a separate ticket.
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Shedd Aquarium
Chicago, United States
See southern and northern sea otters in the Abbott Oceanarium and Polar Play Zone.
Middle East (1)
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SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
سي وورلد جزيرة ياس، أبوظبي
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Watch northern sea otters in the Arctic realm; a close-up encounter is available for an additional fee.
Where to see wild sea otters (7)
These are coasts and boat departure points, not zoos: sightings are not guaranteed, so keep your distance and never feed wildlife.
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Port Alice — Rumble Beach Marina
Canada
When: Tours run in spring, summer and autumn; check schedules and weather before you go.
Guided boats leave Rumble Beach Marina for Neroutsos Inlet and Quatsino Sound. Follow the operator's 100-metre wildlife buffer; sightings are not guaranteed.
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Cape Kiritappu
Japan
When: Possible year-round; April–May and September–March are best, as June–August is often foggy.
Watch from the trail with binoculars. Sightings are not guaranteed. Stay on paths; do not feed, approach by boat or fly drones. Bring windproof clothing.
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Kamen Ariy, Commander Islands
Russia
When: National park boat tours run May–September, weather permitting.
Watch from a national park boat with binoculars. Boat trips require a border permit; foreign visitors should allow up to 40 days to apply. Do not land on the islet or approach wildlife.
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Monterey Bay — Old Fisherman's Wharf
United States
When: Possible year-round; sea conditions and visibility affect sightings.
Look from the wharf and nearby coastal paths using binoculars. Do not feed or pursue wildlife; join kayak trips only when conditions allow.
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Morro Bay South T-Pier
United States
When: Year-round; pups peak October–January, with a second peak in March–April.
Watch from the pier and harbor paths. Back away and stay quiet if an otter becomes alert, changes behavior or swims away.
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Moss Landing State Beach and Elkhorn Slough
United States
When: Possible year-round; check wind, waves and tides before boating.
Watch harbor and estuary waters from shore or a guided boat. Keep at least 200 feet from marine mammals and avoid disturbing dunes or otter rafts.
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Resurrection Bay, Alaska
United States
When: Possible year-round; more boat tours May–September, fewer in winter.
Watch from Seward's waterfront trail or a bay cruise. The map pin marks the bay, not a fixed otter location. Do not chase or feed wildlife.
What this page covers and where the data comes from
Places that used to keep sea otters but no longer do are left out, such as Osaka Kaiyukan, Adventure World in Shirahama, Marine World Uminonakamichi in Fukuoka, Marinepia Nihonkai in Niigata and 63 Sea World in Seoul. Zoos that only keep small-clawed, North American river or giant otters are not sea otters and are not listed.
Every zoo links to its source: the zoo's own sea otter page where possible, otherwise news from 2024 onward. Zoos we could not confirm are left out. If a zoo here no longer has them, or we missed one, please let us know via the footer.
FAQ
Which zoos worldwide have sea otters?
As of 2026-11-11, 23 zoos worldwide keep sea otters, across 8 countries and territories: Canada (Aquarium du Québec, Vancouver Aquarium); United States (Aquarium of the Pacific, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Detroit Zoo, Georgia Aquarium, Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium, Minnesota Zoo, Monterey Bay Aquarium, New York Aquarium, Oregon Coast Aquarium, Oregon Zoo, Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Seattle Aquarium, SeaWorld San Diego, Shedd Aquarium); Denmark (National Aquarium Denmark, Den Blå Planet); Portugal (Lisbon Oceanarium); France (Océanopolis); United Kingdom (National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham); United Arab Emirates (SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi); Japan (Toba Aquarium). Each was checked against the zoo's website or recent news.
Where can you see sea otters in Taiwan?
As of 2026-11-11, we found no zoo in Taiwan keeping sea otters.
Why does the list of zoos with sea otters change?
Sea otters live their whole lives at sea, floating on their backs and cracking shells with stones; they are a different animal from river otters. International protection makes new imports very hard, so fewer and fewer aquariums keep them: Japan is down to a single sea otter at Toba Aquarium, Taiwan has none, and most are in the United States. Every place here was checked against its own website or news, so check again before you go.
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