Sea Otter LOVES Ice and Goes VIRAL!

#otters #seaotters #kpassionate
Sea otters LOVE ice. Otters love ice so much that they sometimes refuse to share. And if you love sea otters, then chances are you have seen my viral videos of sea otters crunching and hoarding ice cubes. One even beat out Noodle the Pug and Ed Sheeran for the TOP video to make you smile in 2021!
Not only do these videos have over 60 million views, they also have millions of comments and questions. Questions like: Why do sea otters love ice cubes? Does eating ice hurt the otter's teeth? What is REALLY going on? Why do we give ice to the sea otters? How strong are sea otters' teeth? Do sea otters get cold?
Well, I not only filmed these sea otter videos, but I'm a marine biologist who has worked with sea otters for over a decade. So here, I'll answer the most frequently asked questions about sea otters.
While crunching on ice might look painful to us humans, ice is actually really good for a sea otter’s teeth. In the wild, sea otters will often use their teeth to crack into the hard shells of clams, mussels, and abalone. The abrasive shells will act like a toothbrush and scrape away plaque. Sea otter’s teeth are significantly more robust than human teeth so they can withstand the force necessary to break into the seashell. The molar’s of a sea otter have 6 roots instead of just two so they are specially designed for crunching.
However, it’s difficult to give oysters on the half-shell to marine mammals under human care. The seafood has to be carefully inspected for quality and freshness. In fact, their food is required to meet FDA standards for high end restaurants! But these sea otters still occasionally need something hard to chew on, not only to keep their teeth clean, but to satisfy an otter’s natural desire to crunch something.
Kunik is a rescued sea otter who was found by the U.S. Coast Guard on Homer Spit, Alaska. She was only days old and it was determined she was tragically separated from her mother and unable to survive on her own. She was rescued and taken to the Alaskan SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska where she was named Kunik, which is the word in Inuktitut for a traditional Inuit greeting, or “kiss.”
Typically, juvenile sea otters stay with their mothers for 6 to 7 months where they learn important skills such as foraging and grooming. Since Kunik never learned these skills, she was deemed non-releasable by marine biologists at the NOAA after they determined she was unlikely to survive in the wild.
The good news is this ice loving sea otter has thrived under human care. Kunik going viral on KZbin has inspired millions to care about ocean conservation and the survival of her species.
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Music By
Cody Martin
Licensed from Soundstripe
Additional Imagery
Pat - stock.adobe.com
PDScott - stock.adobe.com
Roberto - stock.adobe.com
Robert - stock.adobe.com
RMBolton/Pond5 - stock.adobe.com
hdnaturefootage/Pond5 - stock.adobe.com
David A. Litman - stock.adobe.com

[@KPassionate]

Click here to see my reaction to Casual Geographic's take on otters -> kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3q0gqqti9lnr5I

[@carolbignell5067]

They are cute because of their mannerisms, sense of humour, unique characteristics (BBQ!!), and joy for life and being mischievous

[@kimberlyhendricks1229]

It does not surprise me a bit that the video is so popular. Those little critters are so precious and funny. Actually, I think Katmai taps on things to see if it is hollow underneath to figure out where to mine next. Congrats KP and Double.😂👏👏👏

[@silverlily2389]

Reading this and remembering that one time at livestream where Kat just took off that one, big chunk of rock tile and went partying with it 🤣🤣🤣

[@TheCabag]

Why are they so cute? Emmmmm the paws, no the flips, no the ears, no the meeps..... ARGH THEY JUST ARE.

[@TheCabag]

I forgot the snoot!!!!

[@mariag.8242]

Fluff, round smiley faces with whiskers and goofy playful behaviour 🥰🥰🥰

[@jlpeters8576]

I enjoy watching Twitch and reading the comments of people discovering the otters for the first time. There is something about otters that invites joy. I think they have an almost irresistible charm and a joie de vivre that cannot be found elsewhere. There is a purity about them--living their best lives, being their true selves--that we can all aspire to but never have. And they are fun. Fun is extremely cute.

[@favor19881]

Yep Katmai putting her mining skills to work, Love this🤗🤗🤗

[@timstambaugh2420]

That's Otterly fantastic for the Otters and making more people aware of these amazing animals. . They just plain and simple make you feel better when you watch them ...just ... Swim . And when they play around with otter Otters it's all magical indeed . Thank you all for your dedication to our planet and wonderful animals as these Sea Otters 🦦❤️🦦❤️🦦❤️🦦❤️🦦❤️

[@elizabethgrant1019]

Congrats on being #1. Thank you for sharing them with us. I fell in love with them after seeing them in Monterrey Bay many years ago. So glad more people are learning about these amazing animals. One question I have - some look like their faces are white or gray. Is that indicative of them aging? ❤️

[@KPassionate]

Yep! Sea otter fur tends to get lighter as they age.

[@kj_wine]

Kunik could share, but shes never going too 🤣🤣

[@KittyClaudia]

To answer the question: "Why are they so cute?" Because they freaking are !!!! 😍❤

[@jesslee5170]

I love ALL their vids 😍 Tks KP!!!

[@sarahcarter-ali4096]

Great explanations KP ❤️ congratulations on spreading the love for the adorable floofs 🎊❤️😍

[@albertgongora6944]

I'm not going to lie I would do anything to be able to actually work with otters because I think it's the most awesomest job getting to understand those fluffy little guys and getting to do all sorts of fun activities with them

[@KPassionate]

It can be very rewarding!

[@grannymcnoodle]

Love this new KZbin topic, KP.

[@LeaXOXO17]

I can imagine you have tons of videos of them still left on your phone. Keep sharing them, please.

[@KPassionate]

I'll do my best!

[@j.zingler6735]

Mine! They are all mine! Mine! Love it! 🙂🤗🤗

[@nancymorton5636]

Thanks for this question/answer video. Loved it...as we love these precious little critters. Answer to why they're so cute?....cuz they're so dam cute!!... that's why!! That might be one of those things that just has no answer...they just ARE...ADORABLE!!

[@KPassionate]

You are so kind

[@yvettemckinzie9082]

I love ice!!!

[@neilstewart2811]

There so awesome and it's great there helping people learn just wish there was more walrus

[@user-or7uy4gl8w]

لا افهم ماذا تتكلم عنهم فتاة ، ولكن احببت كثيرآ لطف هذه مخلوقات ، سعيدة جدآ بهذا المقطع

[@corydalton7135]

They are cute (to us) because something divine within us may be providing us a way to save ourselves.

[@Takapon218]

Gonna save myself by banging ice together

[@memminghenner1743]

Da wo die Seeotter normalerweise schwimmen ist das Wasser sehr kalt. Ihr Pelz ist auch darauf ausgelegt. Denen ist es einfach zu warm!

[@bluethebunnylord9274]

Can you react to the natural habitat shorts with the sea otters and their baby Kevin?

[@KPassionate]

I am unfamiliar with that creator but I will give it a look and see if it's a good fit. Thanks for commenting!

[@NanuqEditzS]

The average body temperature of a human 36,6°C and as you said, an Otter's is 37°C, so it isn't a big difference

[@KPassionate]

Small variations in temperature make a big difference. For a human, 37c is a borderline fever. Not to mention the fact that sea otters are maintaining that temperature while spending their entire lives in the cold waters of the North Pacific.

[@leoniemillerl4487]

@@KPassionate you are great. I don’t know if you can count smiles but the happiness ratio goes up whenever you post a sea otter video. If each smile brought you a dollar you would be a kazillionaire. 🦦 ❤️ 👏🏽

[@KPassionate]

@@leoniemillerl4487 this is such a lovely compliment! Thank you 😊

[@puginator1612]

2:04 sus