# What Do Sea Otters Eat?

> What sea otters eat: Carnivore, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Coastal North Pacific and kelp forests.

- **Species:** Sea Otter (*Enhydra lutris*)
- **Conservation status:** Endangered
- **Diet:** Carnivore
- **Habitat:** Coastal North Pacific and kelp forests
- **Lifespan:** 10–20 years
- **Top speed:** About 9 km/h (5.5 mph) swimming
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/sea-otter/what-do-sea-otter-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/sea-otter/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The sea otter is a marine mammal of the North Pacific coast and the smallest marine mammal, famous for floating on its back, using rocks as tools to crack open shellfish, and holding hands while resting. It has the densest fur of any animal, with up to a million hairs per square inch, and is a keystone species that keeps kelp forests healthy. Sea otters typically live 10 to 20 years.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## The warmest coat in nature

Unlike whales and seals, sea otters have no insulating blubber. Instead they rely on the densest fur of any animal, with up to a million hairs per square inch, trapping a layer of air to stay warm in cold seas. They spend hours grooming to keep this fur clean and waterproof.

## Help protect the Sea Otter

Ocean wildlife is under mounting pressure from overfishing, bycatch and plastic pollution.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/sea-otter/what-do-sea-otter-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.