I love otters. Love. Just thinking of them gets me all teary and excited.It has long been one of my dreams to meet an otter and have his little paw grab my fingers like a raccoon might. Zach, being wise and adventurous, figured to give me a trip to SeaWorld to meet some otters for my birthday. This weekend I packed my otter backpack and cashed in on my birthday promise.
Our first stop at SeaWorld was at the sea otter exhibit where we witnessed "tube time." The otters were given hard plastic tubes filled with fish and they had to get the goodies out of the tube. Otters are smart critters that use tools, and we were delighted to watch them bang the tubes against rocks and the exhibit walls to dislodge the food. A trainer told us about two sea otter pups they have that aren't big enough to interact with the adult otters yet. When they reach 25 pounds they'll be allowed to play with the big kids.
Next we watched a show that featured a river otter walking out on stage carrying a Pepsi can. Christina and I saw this show two years ago and stopped breathing (out of joy) when we saw the Pepsi can otter. After the show, the real magic happened.
That look on my face? Otter anticipation. Zach has an otter connection, so I was able to meet Lucy the River Otter, and she sat on my lap and ate shrimp while I petted her. Her trainer told us that they don't usually handle the otters, so I got in as many pats and pets as I could. No finger grabbing, but a dream come true.
On our way out of the park, we stopped by the sea otter exhibit one last time. I knew I was feet away from otter pups and couldn't stand it. I lingered around the trainers' area until I caught someone's eye. I waved through the window and a trainer cracked the door. I gave him otter eyes and said, "Is there any possible way to see the pups?" Otter eye lock. I wasn't gonna let him get away. After a brief moment of hesitation, he very graciously invited Zach and I into the off-limits trainer area for a sneak peak at the pups. They were quite the screechers, but an adorable pair. I was able to kneel next to the enclosure. I put a finger next to the fence. A little, cold, padded otter paw reached out and patted my finger. Oh, heaven!
