One of the four otters at the Oregon Coast Aquarium has died. Nuka was the organization’s resident northern sea otter. The Aquarium says he died after an emergency veterinary procedure, which was carried out after staff observed atypical behavior and physical symptoms. The exact cause of Nuka’s death is unknown, but a full necropsy will be performed to learn more.
Nuka was just shy of turning 10. In the wild, sea otters typically live into their early to mid-teens. Under human care, they can live into their late teens or early 20s.
Nuka was originally found stranded on a beach in Kodiak, Alaska, in June 2013. Severely malnourished and only three months old, he was taken to Alaska SeaLife Center for care, and was deemed non-releasable. He came to his forever home at the Aquarium in February 2014.
While the name Nuka means younger sibling in the Inuit language, he was the largest of the Aquarium’s sea otter raft, weighing between 60 and 70 pounds. Despite his size, he never claimed the role of dominant otter, and was known for his relaxed attitude.
Nuka leaves behind fellow sea otters Oswald, Schuster, and Earle.
