Sea Otter Book

A little sea otter’s B Cusy, omplete DayIn a forest of kelp just off the shoreLives a little sea otter, her mother and moreTogether they live all their days in the seaAnd their days are as busy as busy can be… By Roberta BrooksIllustrations by Lindsay Holladay



The ocean is quiet just after dawnALittle otter wakes with a stretch and a yawnDear little otter is growing so fastShe’s bigger and stronger each day than the lastTo help keep her warm and help her to growShe needs LOTS of food from the ocean belowBreakfast’s important—more than a biteShe needs a big meal to start the day right

CAbalone snails and mussels, a lamCan be pried from the rocks or dug from the sandDungeness crabs she eats without pauseThey are her favorite (watch out for the claws)If she can’t hold all the food she may findIt’s not a problem, she won’t leave it behindFor under her arms in a fold of her skinShe has secret pockets to carry things in

Her teeth are quite sharp and her jaws are so strongShe can bite through the crab shells all the day longBut some of the shells are harder to crackSo she uses a rock as she floats on her back She pounds the hard shell on the rock on her chest Until it breaks open, then she eats the rest Rocks come in handy when things that you like Come in a shell that’s too hard to bite

EAn agle is soaring up high in the airMom stops what she’s doing—they have to bewareFor eagles hunt fish or rabbits or mice But they might also think little otters taste niceShe picks up her pup, they float still as can beSo they look like the kelp that floats on the sea

The eagle comes closer as it circles the skyThe otters stay still and hope it goes byAs the bird soars past the spot where they layIt seems they’ve escaped the large bird of preyBut just to be certain mom has the pup stayAs still as can be ‘till the bird flies away

Mom watches the sky until at long lastThe eagle is gone and the danger is pastThen it’s back to eating and diving for moreOf things the pup loves from kelp near the shore

This morning’s been all about eating for herBut now it is time to clean up her urG FFor rooming’s important after you eatBut it’s not just about being tidy and neat Clean fur keeps her floating and keeps her from harm Cleaning her fur keeps her safe, dry and warm So she licks and she scrubs at a furious pace From her head to her tail and even her faceHAll four of her feet work to clean up her airWhen she’s done scrubbing she starts to blow airShe blows air in her hair with her muzzle and snoutThe air near her skin helps keep water outWith air and not water up close to her skinIThe cold will stay out and the warmth will stay n

After all of that grooming, there’s time for some playFor she has worked very hard already todayJShe umps and she dives and spins in the seaAnd shows just how happy an otter can beKTo swim through the elp and play by the shoreNo little otter could ask for much more LWith playtime behind her, it’s now time for unch And finding more things that she loves to munch More scallops, more mussels, more grooming and then NA ap sounds just right to rest once again She floats on her back beneath the blue skies Holds hands with her mom and closes her eyes They float side by side and drift off to sleep In the sun on the waves in the ocean so deep

After a nap otter’s hungry once moreSo it’s hunting and foraging just like beforeAs the pup comes up with more clams for a snackShe sees a grey head and dark eyes looking backAt first the pup’s cautious and nervous, and yetA young harbor seal doesn’t seem such a threatSo she swims slowly closer and offers to shareSome of the clams she’s gathered with careThe seal’s whiskers twitch as he sniffs at the snackBut instead of accepting the seal pulls backThe harbor seal dives with barely a swishHe swims very fast and starts chasing fish

Why would the seal ignore such a treat Then work so hard to get something to eat?What the pup doesn’t know and the seal doesn’t tellIs that seals can’t use rocks or crush a hard shell But seals can swim fast and turn on a dime So they can catch fish any old time For our little otter it would be quite tough To catch lots of fish to feed her enough Each of them have their own talents and skill To get enough food to give them their fill She watches the seal as he chases the fish But then she returns to her own tasty dish

OFrom out on the cean there comes a big boatIt motors quite close to the kelp where they floatIt idles its engine and drifts on the tideThen lowers a fishing net over the side

The engine revs up with a clunk and a roarAnd drags the big net across the sea floorWherever it goes it churns up the sandsIt drags on the bottom and digs up the clamsIt scatters the crabs and rips up the kelpBut there’s nothing to do and no way to helpFor the otters it seems so terribly rudeTo mess up their home and tear up their foodThen the boat lurches, it shudders and stopsThe net is all tangled and hooked on the rocksPThe boat ulls and pulls to get the net looseBut nothing is working, it seems it’s no useThey cut all the lines and let the net goIt falls in a bunch on the rocks down belowA big tangled mess on the bottom it layAs the boat turned its bow and motored away

QLittle otter’s uite curious, she wants to exploreThe strange new thing on the ocean floorIs it a toy? Or something to eat?Would it taste spicy or salty or sweet?Little otter dives down and gives it a nudgeIt’s not a good toy it won’t even budgeShe tries a small taste to see if it’s foodBut it’s tough and bitter it doesn’t taste good

So she starts to swim up but to her dismayShe’s caught in the net and can’t get awayThe more that she wiggles the more that she findsHer flippers are tangled and caught in the linesThe harder she struggles to get herself freeThe tighter the lines from the net seem to be RBut her mom ushes in to help little pup She works and she works and doesn’t give up She tugs and she pulls with her flippers and paws She bites and she scrapes with her teeth and her claws Finally some of the netting lets go And the pup is released from danger below

Back on the surface mom picks up her pupShe licks her and grooms her and fluffs her all upShe checks the pup over just to make sureThat she’s not hurt, that she’s safe and secureThey return to the kelp with the net far behindSuppertime’s coming there’s more food to findOnce more they go diving to find lots to eatThis time they find a favorite treatUrchins are yummy and make a great mealThe pup loves the taste but not how they feelThe spines on the outside prickle her snoutIt’s the parts on the inside she wants to get outShe uses her rock to break spines and shellTo get to the parts she likes oh so wellVAfter bunches of urchins she’s ery well fedIt’s time for the pup to get ready for bed

She grooms before bed, mom gives her some helpWThen she raps little otter in a blanket of kelpKelp holds her in place so she won’t drift awayXE actly where mom would like her to stayYThe otter pup awns in the fading lightShe’s full and she’s warm and secure for the nightSweet dreams little otter, sleep well and thenTomorrow you’ll do it all over again…Zzzz



Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment