Ocean Mysteries – Otter the Blue - Georgia Aquarium

Ocean Mysteries – Otter the Blue
Activity Pack
6 th -8 th Grade
Episode Description
The staff at the Monterey Bay Aquarium is on the hunt for a
distressed California sea otter that was recently released from
their Sea Otter Rescue Program. Will they be able to find the
sea otter, safely secure him, and bring him back in for
treatment before it's too late Join host Jeff Corwin as he helps
locate and rescue a southern sea otter in this exciting new
adventure.
The following activity pack has been designed to support the Ocean
Mysteries programming being aired on ABC affiliate stations. The
goal of this resource is to provide educators with continued learning
opportunities beyond the featured episode.
Contents of this activity pack include:
Otter the Blue Crossword
Otter the Blue Word Search
Otter the Blue Story
Otter Fun Facts Sheet
Otter Resource Guide
Lesson and Curriculum Links
Georgia Aquarium Education Department 1

Otter the Blue Crossword
Student Sheet
1
Across
2. SORAC matches stranded pups with a surrogate ______ to learn necessary survival
skills.
5. When the pup is ready, the staff will _____ it back in to the wild.
6. The methods developed by SORAC have greatly increased _____ rates for stranded
otter pups.
Down
1. Without food sea otters can become _____, lacking fluids in their bodies.
3. Before being released, sea otters have a _____ surgically implanted.
4. Researchers can track released sea otters through _____ telemetry to monitor their
success.
7. If a sea otter is not foraging well, SORAC staff may ______ it and bring it back to the
Aquarium.
Georgia Aquarium Education Department 2

Otter the Blue Crossword
Answer Sheet
Across
2. MOTHER
5. RELEASE
6. SURVIVAL
Down
1. DEHYDRATED
3. TRANSMITTER
4. RADIO
7. RECAPTURE
Georgia Aquarium Education Department 3

Otter the Blue Word Search
Student Sheet
C A F I Q P G D R K J M H S I Y C V
E F K K I V Q Q Z X M G C X P P Q E
B B N J P J A V O R U R D L E R R T
N G B X C B M H W O A W K A A E O E
F M L A E O K W L S B G W V L X K R
R O O R C O N S E R V A T I O N Z I
R E S C U E N H T E H U I V R B H N
G J H Y J R M E S C J Z E R F K L A
L N Y A O Y L T R P G Z Y U J G J R
G K I H B E H A V E Y C M S H S S I
F Q K G M I E F X R D D Z H M C J A
L L B E A S L N C J D Y Z R Q J H N
E P T R E R Y I P I P E D L K T X W
A R G R N Z O H T E T A G O R R U S
Y V X V X Z S F S A P B L D T J F V
E F Q X A P Z S E N T N O P L D S J
Z J T J V I G U B J M E P K J P F D
Y V O W M G L X L L Z O D O F Z M W
TELEMETRY
CONSERVATION
ELKHORN SLOUGH
FORAGING
SURVIVAL
REHABILITATE
RESCUE
RESEARCH
SURROGATE
VETERINARIAN
Georgia Aquarium Education Department 4

Otter the Blue Word Search
Answer Sheet
C A F I Q P G D R K J M H S I Y C V
E F K K I V Q Q Z X M G C X P P Q E
B B N J P J A V O R U R D L E R R T
N G B X C B M H W O A W K A A E O E
F M L A E O K W L S B G W V L X K R
R O O R C O N S E R V A T I O N Z I
R E S C U E N H T E H U I V R B H N
G J H Y J R M E S C J Z E R F K L A
L N Y A O Y L T R P G Z Y U J G J R
G K I H B E H A V E Y C M S H S S I
F Q K G M I E F X R D D Z H M C J A
L L B E A S L N C J D Y Z R Q J H N
E P T R E R Y I P I P E D L K T X W
A R G R N Z O H T E T A G O R R U S
Y V X V X Z S F S A P B L D T J F V
E F Q X A P Z S E N T N O P L D S J
Z J T J V I G U B J M E P K J P F D
Y V O W M G L X L L Z O D O F Z M W
Georgia Aquarium Education Department 5

Otter the Blue Story Student Sheet 1
Have students as a group or individually come up with the following
words. Then, insert the words into the attached story and read aloud.
1. Year _______________________________
2. Number _______________________________
3. Adjective _______________________________
4. Adjective (starting with “s”) _______________________________
5. Verb (starting with “r”) _______________________________
6. Verb (starting with “c”) _______________________________
7. Verb (past tense) _______________________________
8. Adjective _______________________________
9. Adjective _______________________________
10. Adjective _______________________________
11. Verb _______________________________
12. Noun (type of costume) _______________________________
13. Noun (something to hide behind) ____________________________
14. Noun _______________________________
15. Adverb _______________________________
Georgia Aquarium Education Department 6

Otter the Blue Story Student Sheet 2
In ____________, the Georgia Aquarium welcomed ____________ rescued sea otters into its
1. Year 2. Number
collection. These orphaned sea otter pups had been deemed un-releasable by their
____________caretakers in California. The SORAC program, which stands for the ____________
3. Adjective
4. Adjective (starting with “s”)
Otter ____________and ____________, is continuously rescuing and rehabilitating sea otters
5. Verb (starting with “r”) 6. Verb (starting with “c”)
____________along the shores of California, the ____________ habitat for southern sea otters.
7. Verb (past tense)
8. Adjective
Once these sea otters are rehabilitated, it is the ____________ goal to release the pups into the
9. Adjective
wild as ____________ individuals. To do this, care is taken so that the otters do not imprint on
10. Adjective
humans. This way, when the otter is back in the wild, they will not recognize humans as their
caretakers and will not be tempted to ____________ them. To do this, caretakers must dress
11. Verb
themselves to hide their faces; this is usually done by wearing a ____________ mask or a
12. Noun (type of costume)
____________ while interacting with the otter pups.
13. Noun (something to hide behind)
When released, otter pups are outfitted with a tracking ____________ which allows researchers
14. Noun
to locate them in the wild. Thanks to the efforts underway at the SORAC program, the
rehabilitated otters will ____________ live the rest of their lives fully in the wild.
15. Adverb
Georgia Aquarium Education Department 7

Otter Fun Facts Sheet
Before the Monterey Bay Aquarium began rescuing sea otter pups in 1984, no one
knew how to keep pups alive once separated from their mothers.
More than 500 sea otters have come through SORAC program.
Many of the sea otters raised by Monterey Bay’s surrogate mothers have been
successfully released and have gone on to breed and raise their own pups in the
wild.
SORAC stands for Sea Otter Research and Conservation and is dedicated to the
protection of sea otters in Monterey Bay and surrounding areas.
SORAC rescues stranded pups, stabilizes their health, cares for them, establishes a
surrogate mother, and releases them back into the wild if they are good candidate.
Otters that do not forage or navigate well after release may be recaptured and
returned to the Aquarium to rest and gain weight.
It sometimes takes 3 or 4 releases for a sea otter to adapt to life in the wild.
Sea otters are a keystone species: a predator that helps keep marine ecosystems in
balance.
Tidal creeks form winding networks of water through the salt marshes and mud
flats, creating important foraging areas for sea otters.
Aside from San Francisco Bay, the largest area of tidal marsh in California is found
in Elkhorn Slough.
When not eating or grooming, otters relax on their back and float with the tides.
Parasites and infectious diseases cause more than 40 percent of sea otter deaths.
Sea otters can eat up to 25% of their body weight each day. Much of their diet
consists of sea urchins and other marine invertebrates.
The sea otter is the only carnivore to have four incisor teeth in its lower jaw and one
of the only one that uses tools. These tools such as rocks, along with their teeth, are
used to break open the shells of crabs, sea urchins, and other shellfish.
Telemetry is the technique used by researchers to study animals and their
movements from afar by attaching radio transmitters.
Sea otters can often be seen grooming themselves and other otters. This increases
blood flow, cleans their fur, and traps air pockets beneath the fur. This trapped air is
warmed by the otter’s body and creates another barrier to fight the cold water.
A group of sea otters is called a raft.
Georgia Aquarium Education Department 8

Otter Resource Guide
Internet Resources:
Alaska Sea Life Center
http://www.alaskasealife.org/New/about-ASLC/index.phppage=firstpage.php
Information about the Alaska Sea Life Center’s research and rehabilitation efforts with
sea otters and other sea animals.
Friends of the Sea Otter
http://www.seaotters.org/index.html
This organization’s purpose is to protect sea otters and inform the public about their
unique behaviors and habitat.
Georgia Aquarium – 4R Program
http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/support-us/4R/
Information about Georgia Aquarium’s sea otter rescue partnerships and other key
conservation projects at the Georgia Aquarium.
The Marine Mammal Center
http://www.marinemammalcenter.org
This center rescues ill, injured, or orphaned marine mammals and provides education
about marine mammals and their habitats.
Monterey Bay Aquarium – Sea Otter Research and Conservation
http://ww.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_sorac/sorac_rescue.aspx
Description of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea Otter Research and Conservation
Program.
The Otter Project
http://www.otterproject.org/site/pp.aspc=8pIKIYMIG&b=1323147
General information about sea otters, careers involving them, photographs, and what
you can do to help sea otters are included on this website.
Book Resources:
Brust, B. W. (1991). Sea otters. Mankato, MN: Creative Education
Kelsey, E., & White, D. (1999). Saving sea otters: stories of survival. Monterey, CA:
Monterey Bay Aquarium Press.
Murray, P. (1996). Sea otters. Columbus, OH: Newfield Publications.
Smith, R. (1990). Sea otter rescue: the aftermath of an oil spill. New York, NY: Cobblehill
Books.
Georgia Aquarium Education Department 9

Lesson and Curriculum Links
Below is a list of resource materials which contain age appropriate lesson
plans and other related classroom curriculum.
Defenders of Wildlife Sea Otter Unit Teacher Manual
http://www.kidsplanet.org/tt/seaotter/pdf/teachers.pdf
Background information of sea otter biology and behavior with a focus on the social
implications and conflicts surrounding sea otters. These lessons are designed to
integrate reading, writing, social studies, and technology into the science curriculum.
Glacier Bay National Park – Sea Otter Lesson Plans
http://www.nps.gov/glba/forteachers/sea-otters-lesson-plans.htm
Lesson plans covering sea otter behavior, diet, and population history.
Lesson Planet-Discover the Similarities: Marine Mammal Rescue
http://www.lessonplanet.com/lesson-plans/marine-mammal
In this lesson, students will research the career of marine mammal rescuers and
compare it to their own lives.
Sea World and National Geographic – Conservation Around the World
http://www.seaworld.org/just-for-teachers/guides/pdf/saving-the-wild-6-8.pdf
This website contains information about animal conservation and geography with
hands-on activities. It helps students understand their place in the world and the
importance of being stewards of their environment and its animal inhabitants.
Georgia Aquarium Education Department 10