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Virtual Sea Otter Encounter

Sea otter Luna rests comfortably in a rubber bucket behind the scenes, her long body coiled to fit.

Private encounters are available, see details below. Otherwise, this experience is currently paused. 

Check back for more dates. View the list of available Extraordinary Experiences. 

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 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!

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 anywhere in the world. All questions can be asked live through the chat function and responded to by our program host.

Special Offer: Want to share this experience with a friend or family member from anywhere in the world? Add a second link that you can share for only $20 more! 


pricing

$49.95 ($44.95 Members) / per zoom link

Special offer: Add a second zoom link to your experience for only $20 more!

Device sharing

We encourage you to share this experience with friends and recommend a group size of 4 or less viewing from the same device. Your unique link and password will give you access for just one device to login to the experience.

schedule

Offered select Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. Central Time (CT) through August 31.

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 even your office! Please contact [email protected].

An orphaned sea otter pup, small and fluffy, drinks milk from a bottle.
A trainer wearing a head set gently touches the fur of a sea otter.

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.

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.

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.

Questions?

Email us at [email protected] or call 312-692-3355 with questions. We are unable to take reservations by email.

Virtual Sea Otter Encounters FAQs

Sea otter Luna rests comfortably in a rubber bucket behind the scenes, her long body coiled to fit.

Sea otter Luna

Two sea otter pups lie side by side with their eyes squinted shut in slumber.

Sea otter pups Cooper and Watson

A Sea Otter holds a Big 10 basketball.

Sea otter Yaku

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) / per zoom link

Special offer: Add a second zoom link to your experience for only $20 more!

Device Sharing

We encourage you to share this experience with friends and recommend a group size of 4 or less viewing from the same device. Your unique link and password will give you access for just one device to login to the experience.

schedule

Offered select Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. Central Time (CT) through August 31.

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.