About SeaOtters.com

SeaOtters.com is dedicated to raising awareness about California’s threatened sea otters and inspiring the public to view wildlife responsibly. In collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Wharton Media and Explore.org among others, SeaOtters.com offers an unprecedented look into the extraordinary life and world of this endearing and threatened species. SeaOtters.com is home to the world’s first livestream of southern sea otters in the wild.

Our Mission
The mission of SeaOtters.com is to raise awareness about California’s threatened sea otters and inspire the public to view wildlife responsibly.

Our Founder and Launch
SeaOtters.com was founded by Drew Wharton and launched on March 24, 2012, the 23 year anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Among the key goals of SeaOtters.com are to:

  • leverage the strength and reach of digital and social media to educate the public about the interconnectedness of land and sea;  that the health of sea otters, the nearshore marine ecosystem and humans are inextricably linked; that what we do here on land not only impacts us, but also has lasting impacts on our oceans and marine life
  • raise awareness, understanding and action for solutions to the natural and anthropogenic factors threatening their population recovery
  • help raise funds for sea otter conservation
  • foster understanding and appreciation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary while promoting respectful wildlife viewing and protecting marine mammals from human disturbance
  • educate the public about the sea otters’ ecological role as a keystone and sentinel species
  • provide a central, comprehensive digital resource center dedicated to sea otter research, education, and conservation
  • aid in the dissemination of sea otter research

Our Partners

Monterey Bay Aquarium
Located on Monterey’s historic Cannery Row and overlooking the vast Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Monterey Bay Aquarium explores the diverse habitats of one of the world’s richest marine regions of our ocean planet. Its conservation and research programs guide consumers and business toward sustainable seafood, and advance knowledge of and protection for vital ocean wildlife such as sea otters, white sharks and bluefin tuna. Award-winning education programs serve over 80,000 schoolchildren and 1,500 teachers a year at no cost. The integrated and progressive programs help students, and the adults who influence them, discover their connection to the ocean and take the next steps in becoming active and effective ocean conservationists. Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea Otter Program began caring for stranded sea otter pups in 1984. Over the past 30 years they’ve cared for over 700 sea otters.

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Designated in 1992, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) is a federally protected marine area offshore of California’s central coast. Stretching from Marin to Cambria, the sanctuary encompasses a shoreline length of 276 miles and 6,094 square statute miles (4,601 nmi2) of ocean, extending an average distance of 30 miles from shore. At its deepest point, MBNMS reaches 12,713 feet (more than two miles). It is one of our nation’s largest marine sanctuaries, larger then Yellowstone National Park.

Recognizing the need to better educate and inform the public about responsible wildlife viewing along the California coastline, SeaOtters.com and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary have teamed up to help protect marine life from disturbance.  By taking simple actions, like keeping a safe and respectful distance away from wildlife, you can do your part to help protect sanctuary wildlife too!  Join the TeamOCEAN community by taking the pledge to view wildlife responsibly and help encourage others to do the same.

Explore.org
Raising awareness for California’s threatened sea otters is something we’re really passionate about.  Our partnership with Explore.org, the largest philanthropic live nature cam network on the planet, builds upon and extends our online reach helping us continue our education and outreach work to provide kids, parents, classrooms and otter lovers of all ages around the world an amazing front-row seat to watch and learn about this endearing and threatened species in their natural habitat. We’re thrilled that our LIVE Sea Otter Cam is now a part of Explore’s live cam platform.

Wharton Media
Wharton Media is a full-service digital media studio based in Santa Cruz, California, whose core capabilities include website design and development, video production and postproduction, photography, and graphic design. Wharton Media has worked with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Conservancy, University of California Santa Cruz, California Department of Fish & Wildlife, and National Geographic among others.