Virtual Sea Otter Encounter
Meet the sea otters at Shedd Aquarium—virtually! In our new Virtual Sea Otter Encounter, come face-to-face with the playful, adorable sea otters that call Shedd home. This experience is all about getting up close—join us behind the scenes (virtually) for a sea otter play session, watch them dive, socialize, vocalize and groom and find out how their sustainable, restaurant-quality food prep happens. Will you play with pups Cooper and Watson? Watch Yaku’s pocket in action? Visit Luna while she snacks on sea urchins? Dive in and explore the world of sea otters firsthand!
This 35–40 minute virtual Sea Otter Encounter will take place on Zoom so you can enjoy the experience without leaving home.
Special Offer: Purchase two links for the price of $69.95 ($64.95 Members), to share this experience with a friend or family member from anywhere in the world. If a second link is purchased, it must be used during the same date and time as the first link.
pricing
$49.95 ($44.95 Members) - the encounter is priced per screen.
Special Offer: Purchase two links for the price of $69.95 ($64.95 members), to share this experience with a friend or family member from anywhere in the world. If a second link is purchased, it must be used during the same date and time as the first link.
Become a member and enjoy special pricing and other exclusive perks.
group size
Each session is limited to 20 Zoom users' total. Your unique link and password will give you access for just one device to login to the experience. We recommend a group size of 4 or less viewing from the same device.
schedule
September: Virtual Sea Otter Encounters are being offered seven days a week at 11 a.m. and evening sessions on Thursdays at 6 p.m. through the end of September.
October: Starting October 1, Virtual Sea Otter Encounters will be Fridays - Sundays at 11 a.m. and continue with evening sessions at 6 p.m. on Thursdays through the end of October.
Whether you call Chicago home or live across the world, we welcome you to join us during this 35–40 minute experience and virtually meet Luna, Ellie, Kiana, Cooper, Watson and/or Yaku up close and participate virtually in a session with our animal care team. You’ll go behind the scenes to watch how they can store food in "pockets" under their arms, see how these small animals with big appetites can eat 25% of their body weight in food a day and so much more!
From family time, to stay-at-home dates, to surprise gifts, hang out with the otters during this live experience from your home.
Each up-close visit will be unique, and we are not able to guarantee any specific sea otters during an experience. This 35–40 minute virtual encounter will take place on Zoom so you can enjoy the experience from your own home. All questions can be asked live through the chat function and responded to by our program host.
Highlights
- Go behind the scenes of the sea otter habitat virtually.
- Get up close and interact with a sea otter.
- Learn about the food prep it takes to feed a sea otter.
Make it Private
Reserve the entire encounter for a more intimate experience! With this option, you can make it a private encounter for you alone, you and a significant other, your family, or a small social group. Please contact [email protected].
Interested in a virtual experience for your company? Contact [email protected].
Requirements
- Access to high speed wifi (>2 Mbps)
- Download Zoom app and create a Zoom account.
- Make sure your computer or device is compatible and ready for Zoom here.
Accessibility
We believe there should be no boundaries to your Shedd Aquarium experience. If you have an accommodation request related to a disability, please contact us at [email protected] or call 312-692-3355.
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Yes, your unique link and password will give you access for just one device to login to the experience. We recommend up to 4 people per unique login.
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Yes! Our virtual programs have seen participants all over the world and we welcome you to join! If you have any issues booking please email us or call 312-692-3355.
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There are 20 slots reserved for each session. Each slot may contain any number of participants.
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No, each experience is unique. Due to animal care reasons, we do not know in advance which animal(s) will be present for the encounter.
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Due to animal care reasons, we do not know in advance which animal will be present for the encounter.
Entry
- The email address used to purchase the encounter will receive an email with a link to the Zoom Meeting no later than 30 minutes before your experience is scheduled to start.
- If you purchased the encounter as a gift for someone and the participant has a different email address than the one used to purchase the encounter, please email us at [email protected] or call 312-692-3355 at least 1 day prior to the day of your encounter.
- If you do not receive an email 30 minutes before your experience, please email us at [email protected] or call us at 312-692-3355.
Sea otter Luna
Sea otter Ellie
Sea otter pups Cooper and Watson
Sea otter Yaku
Questions?
Email us at [email protected] or call 312-692-3355 with questions. We are unable to take reservations by email.
Refund policy
You may reschedule up to 5 days before your original reservation date. Please call 312-692-3355 (daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) or email [email protected].
Attempting to reschedule in less than 5 days will result in forfeiture of the experience and no refund will be made, no exceptions.
If a participant needs to cancel the encounter and is unable to reschedule, no refund will be made.
In the event that Shedd Aquarium needs to reschedule the encounter, the participant will be notified by email 24 hours before the encounter. Every effort will be made to reschedule the experience. If an alternate date and time is not possible, a full refund will be made to the purchaser.
Due to the nature of animals, Shedd Aquarium holds the right to reschedule the program to protect the safety and health of the animals.
pricing
$49.95 ($44.95 Members) - the encounter is priced per screen.
Special Offer: Purchase two links for the price of $69.95 ($64.95 members), to share this experience with a friend or family member from anywhere in the world. If a second link is purchased, it must be used during the same date and time as the first link.
Become a member and enjoy special pricing and other exclusive perks.
Group size
Each session is limited to 20 Zoom users' total. Your unique link and password will give you access for just one device to login to the experience. We recommend a group size of 4 or less viewing from the same device.
schedule
September: Virtual Sea Otter Encounters are being offered seven days a week at 11 a.m. and evening sessions on Thursdays at 6 p.m. through the end of September.
October: Starting October 1, Virtual Sea Otter Encounters will be Fridays - Sundays at 11 a.m. and continue with evening sessions at 6 p.m. on Thursdays through the end of October.
requirements
- Access to high speed wifi (>2 Mbps)
- Download Zoom app and create a Zoom account.
- Make sure your computer or device is compatible and ready for Zoom here.
questions?
Email us at [email protected] or call 312-692-3355 with questions. We are unable to take reservations by email.