Sea otters live along the northern Pacific Ocean, mainly in shallow coastal waters close to shore, especially around Alaska, western Canada, the U.S. West Coast, and parts of Russia and Japan.

Quick Scoop

Sea otters are marine mammals that stick to nearshore habitats rather than the open ocean. They usually stay within about 1 kilometer of the coastline in waters that are relatively shallow.

Where they are found

  • North America: Alaska (including the Aleutian Islands), British Columbia, Washington, and the central–southern California coast.
  • Asia: Pacific coasts of Russia (especially Kamchatka and the Kuril/Commander Islands) and parts of northern Japan (Hokkaido region).
  • Small or returning groups: Northern Mexico and some areas of Japan where sea otters are recolonizing former range.

What their homes look like

  • Rocky coastlines with plenty of underwater structure.
  • Thick kelp forests, which they use for food, shelter, and even to anchor themselves while resting.
  • Bays, estuaries, and barrier reefs that offer calmer water and protection from strong waves and wind.
  • Typical depth: roughly 15–30 meters (about 50–100 feet) of water.

A tiny bit of story

Imagine looking out over a foggy Pacific bay and seeing a small “raft” of sea otters floating on their backs, wrapped in kelp so they don’t drift away. That’s their everyday world: cold, coastal Pacific waters where kelp forests sway beneath them and rocky shores are never far away.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.