Checking in with rescued Vancouver Aquarium otter pups 2 years later

Two years after being rescued, Tofino and Luna are doing well at the Vancouver Aquarium.

Checking in with rescued Vancouver Aquarium otter pups 2 years later 'Adapted really well' Two years after being rescued, Tofino and Luna are doing well at the Vancouver Aquarium. Recently, I visited the aquarium to catch up with the pair, after first meeting them as adorable bundles of baby fluff when they first arrived. The two young sea otters were rescued only weeks apart in 2024, leading to an unprecedented situation for the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society and then the aquarium.

That summer, Tofino and then Luna were rescued from B.C. beaches after their parents failed to return. Tofino was the first to arrive at the marine mammal rescue centre and received 24/7 care, getting fed every two hours and kept cool with fans. Luckily, she was stabilized quickly.

Luna came in less than a month later, in critical condition. When she arrived in Vancouver, she weighed 1.58 kilograms. It was the first time the marine mammal centre had cared for two sea otter pups at the same time.

The team was able to keep Luna stable and return her to good health. In mid-August the pair were transferred to the Vancouver Aquarium, with Tofino in one of the public displays. She still hadn't been able to meet the other otters, but she could smell and squeak to them.

Sometimes she could see them through a transparent barrier. Luna was also brought to Stanley Park and kept in a non-public area (but she could smell and squeak to the others, too). Eventually, it was determined neither would return to the wild, both and would remain at the Vancouver Aquarium.

Rescued otter duo meet cute Tofino and Luna were then introduced to each other later that summer, so they could play together. Since they were both young and small they were able to hang out together. Gradually, they were introduced to the other otters at the aquarium, as a pair (so they had a buddy).

Now, two years after their rescue, they're still growing and learning. "We're approaching their second birthdays, and they are learning really well," says the aquarium's sea otter team lead Nadine Trottier. "They've adapted really well to being part of a bigger group of otters."

At two years old, the pair are in their middle school years, more or less, and eager to learn. "Tofino has reached about 24 kg, and Luna's about 22 kg," says Trottier. "So they're getting close to being their full size.

They're still growing a little bit." They're learning the basics of husbandry, which will continue on forever, she adds. But as young otters, they're still full of energy.

"They love playing with toys — any enrichment, we give it to them. They're super playful and full of energy," Trottier says. Luna is the 'diva' while Tofino is more independent While they're about the same age, they do have unique personalities.

"I'll definitely say that Luna is still the diva. She definitely has a strong personality, and when things don't go her way, she'll definitely let us know," Trottier says. "So she still vocalizes here and there, and she doesn't like to be separated from Tofino very often."

"Tofino is more independent. She's extremely playful. She has so much energy.

She likes to, play with all the enrichment we give her, and she's very high energy and destructive when it comes to our enrichment." For those visiting the otters at the aquarium, one way to tell the two youngest otters apart is which one is sucking on her paw. It's a behaviour that sea otters do when they're young, but most outgrow it.

"Luna also still sucks her paw, which is a really fun little quirks, and it's really cute," says Trottier, noting that Joey, another of the sea otters, also sucks his paw. The otters now have a bit more room at the aquarium after four of the sea otters were sent to Quebec earlier this year, to make space in case more otters are rescued. More Metro Vancouver News - Guns N’ Roses giveawayEntertainment - 7:40 am - Mel B on being lateEntertainment - 7:37 am - Coppola wishes 'the best'Entertainment - 7:37 am - Humbled by HaalandEntertainment - 7:36 am - 'Adapted really well'Vancouver -

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