Sea otters are rarely seen north of Ano Nuevo Island, although they are making a comeback to the northern San Mateo County Coastline. To see wild sea otters, one of the best places is in Carmel, California at Point Lobos State Preserve. Often you will hear the otter before seeing it; the clackety clack of the rock pounding on the mussel to open it is a sure sign that sea otters are near.

Sea Otters are the smallest of the marine mammals and they are unique among marine mammals in that they do not have a thick layer of blubber for insulation. Small animals have a higher surface area to volume ratio than larger animals. This means that they tend to lose more of the body heat that they produce. Living in water can also be a problem since water draws heat away from the body much faster that air. Thermoregulation of the sea otter is accomplished in two ways. They have a thick fur coat: approximately 300,000 hairs per square inch. This makes it one of the thickest fur coats of all the mammals. Air is trapped by the fur, providing insulation. A high metabolic rate helps them to produce more body heat. They eat approximately 25% of their body weight each day.

Sea otters are one of the few animals to use tools. They will dive to find their food, returning to the surface with their dinner, usually a shellfish of some sort, and a rock to use in opening it.