Caring for Rosa as she ages

Update: On June 5, 2024, Rosa sadly passed away at the age of 24 peacefully, surrounded by her caretakers. Rosa was the oldest resident otter at the Aquarium and one of our most experienced surrogate moms, having raised 15 stranded sea otter pups in her time with us.

At 24 years old, Rosa is at the upper end of the life span for a southern sea otter. She remains active, though she has developed age-related health problems. That requires extra care from our dedicated Sea Otter Exhibit staff and our veterinary team. Sometimes that involves moving Rosa behind the scenes to deliver that specialized care.

Sea otter health care

Rosa and our other sea otters—Ruby, Ivy, Selka and Kit—are all unable to return to the wild. Rosa is slowed by a heart condition and very limited eyesight. We’ve known Rosa since she was just a five-pound, four-week-old pup, stranded as an orphan in September 1999. She’s been one of our most successful surrogate mothers, having helped raise 15 pups before her retirement two years ago.

Today, despite her health problems, Rosa still eats and grooms regularly. The Sea Otter exhibit team monitor Rosa's health, and that of the other sea otters, during daily feeding and training sessions. Dr. Mike and his veterinary colleagues monitor their health and watch for signs of discomfort or disease. All of the otters receive a complete physical three times a year, including radiographs, blood tests and dental care.

The mammalogists (staff that work with our sea otters) have changed some training techniques to accommodate Rosa’s limitations. Fewer individual trainers work with her, to provide more consistency, and they’ve eliminated all behaviors that involve "going away from us" such as swimming to the windows or doing retrievals where she needed to see an object to bring back, Chris said.

The sea otter team also uses her eye exam behavior as an opportunity to administer eye drops she needs.

Anticipating that aging otters might develop arthritis, as has happened in the past, the exhibit was redesigned in 2013 to create a “ramp” from the water to the deck so it’s easier for them to haul out.

Down the road, all of our decisions about Rosa’s care, and that of other otters as they age, will be made with their quality of life as the highest priority.

“Our otters have grown up in front of the public,” Chris said. “All of us feel fortunate to have had the chance to work with them.”

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