Lesbi-Honest

The collab you didn't know you needed has arrived 🦦🍺 

🪨 Grab your favorite rock and crack open a cold one for the otters!  

We've joined forces with Alvarado Street Brewery to brew up something truly special. This collab not only supports our Sea Otter Program, but also our sustainability goals. 

Our work with threatened southern sea otters was established even before we opened our doors in 1984. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Otter Program is the first of its kind, and we’ve made some serious headway in sea otter research and rehabilitation. When you visit the Sea Otters exhibit at the Aquarium, you’ll meet some of our otters that act as surrogate moms! Each one helps orphaned pups learn vital skills to survive in the wild.

But we’re not just passionate about otters… 

At Monterey Bay Aquarium, we’re all-in on plastic-free seas, which is why for this collaboration with Alvarado Street Brewery, Raft was packaged with sustainability in mind. Each 6-pack uses compostable, biodegradable holders, offering an alternative to traditional plastic packaging and helping reduce the risk of ocean-bound waste. Because caring for the ocean is a community effort, and every little bit counts.

 🌊♻️🍻 Cheers to our ocean-loving community, collaborations for conservation, and cleaner seas! Check out this timeline of our Sea Otter Program and learn how we're helping sea otters thrive here in Monterey Bay!

Ivy helps Willow grow to new heights. 🌿☀️

Before new otters Suri and Willow joined our exhibit, the pair spent several weeks settling behind-the-scenes with our attentive animal care team. 

While Suri jumped into new waters with confidence, cautious Willow was slower to warm up to her new home. But the moment she met Ivy, Willow’s confidence bloomed! 💚🌷 At 14, Ivy is currently our oldest (and blondest!) exhibit otter. Her mature, mellow presence helped Willow relax. From then on, acclimating to her new home was a breeze.  🌬️

Willow’s already branched out after her first few weeks on exhibit. She’s spending more time with lively youngster Opal, while Suri’s totally captivated by confident and clever Selka. Their care team has even noticed Suri mimicking her new mentor!

In the wild, southern sea otters like ours live in social groups called rafts, floating through the waves with fellow female companions of many different ages and temperaments. 🦦 The ever-changing relationships between our non-releasable otters give us humans a rare and precious peek at the unique social dynamics of this beloved species. Willow, Ivy, Suri, Selka, and Opal are all on exhibit together now. Otter spotters, have you noticed any fun interactions between them on exhibit or the Sea Otter Cam? 👀 Tell us in the comments!

Another reason to like these mischievous mammals …

We’re thrilled to introduce two—yes TWO!—resident otters joining our raft today:

🌬️🍃 Willow’s a tenacious otter who’s never bent to the wind. Though she’s a little shy, this resourceful and inquisitive otter embraces life’s changing tides without getting lost in the current.

🏔️🌊 Suri’s got a big name and a big personality to match! Named after the iconic Big Sur coastline, she’s a bold and confident otter who’s always eager to explore uncharted waters.

This is a full-circle homecoming for Suri and Willow, who were both rescued and rehabilitated here as orphaned pups in 2022. After many adventures together, today Suri and Willow return to us as both charming ambassadors for their species and stellar candidates for our Sea Otter Program.

These otters may one day serve as surrogate mothers to orphaned pups by modeling the skills and behaviors they need for a second chance at life in the wild.

We’re deeply grateful to our fintastic conservation partners at Aquarium of the Pacific and Shedd Aquarium for helping us bring this whiskered and resilient duo home! 🫶