🌿Native Nature

Sea Otter

Enhydra lutris

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia ›Phylum: Chordata ›Class: Mammalia ›Order: Carnivora ›Family: Mustelidae ›Genus: Enhydra

About

The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg (31 and 99 lb), making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals. Unlike most marine mammals, the sea otter's primary form of insulation is an exceptionally thick coat of fur, the densest in the animal kingdom. Although it can walk...

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the scientific name of Sea Otter?
The scientific name of Sea Otter is Enhydra lutris.
What is the conservation status of Sea Otter?
The Sea Otter has a conservation status of Endangered.
What kingdom does Sea Otter belong to?
Sea Otter belongs to the kingdom Animalia.
What phylum does Sea Otter belong to?
Sea Otter belongs to the phylum Chordata.
What class does Sea Otter belong to?
Sea Otter belongs to the class Mammalia.
What order does Sea Otter belong to?
Sea Otter belongs to the order Carnivora.
What family does Sea Otter belong to?
Sea Otter belongs to the family Mustelidae.
What genus does Sea Otter belong to?
Sea Otter belongs to the genus Enhydra.

In the News

Science, Indigenous knowledge team up to restore Canada’s kelp. (Sea otters help, too.)

Emily Fulton spends a lot of time in a small boat cruising the waters of Clayoquot Sound off the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. As the marine program manager for the nonprofit Redd Fish Restoration Society, she regularly checks on a newly created kelp nursery growing within the traditional territory of […]

Mongabay · 10/6/2026

New global maps chart 40 years of ocean heat and acidification extremes

Between 2014 and 2015, a marine heatwave known as “The Blob” warmed an area of the Pacific Ocean larger than the United States and Mexico combined. The massive event fueled toxic algae blooms, collapsed fisheries, killed off millions of emaciated seabirds, sent dead fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and sea otters washing up on Alaska and […]

Mongabay · 9/29/2026