Saving a Sea Otter: The Story of Seldovia

Only accessible via boat or plane, the postcard-perfect town of 300 residents sits on the southern end of the Kenai Peninsula on Kachemak Bay, an arm of the Cook Inlet. Wildlife abounds there, from megafauna like black bears, moose and wolves that prevail on land to marine marvels like grey whales, orcas and porpoises in the chilly sea.

People and animals closely cohabitate on the last frontier; in Alaska, wildlife is not just part of the scenery but instead deeply ingrained in daily life, culture, traditions and economy. The same boat harbor that houses commercial fishing vessels and welcomes summer tourists, two cornerstones of Seldovia’s economy, also serves as a habitat for a large population of sea otters.

With pride and a deep admiration for the living things around them, Seldovia residents keep a watchful eye on their furry, playful neighbors. It’s not uncommon that an otter might need a helping hand, but none quite like the pup who came to be named after the community that saved his life.

On Halloween day 2023, Payton was preparing for a trip out of town. “I was supposed to be traveling with my family that day, so I stopped at the office for only an hour to finish work before heading out,” Payton shared. “A local resident came in and said a young otter had been cruising around the harbor and loudly vocalizing for about an hour.”

Payton immediately sprang into action, as he and his colleagues at SVT had been trained by experts at Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) in Seward to respond to marine mammal strandings. Through his position as SVT environmental program coordinator, Payton is responsible for attending to wildlife in need in the community.

With his office located only about 50 yards away from the harbor where the sea otter was spotted, Payton and the local who reported it went together to take a closer look. The young pup was loudly vocalizing and swimming near the docks with no mother in sight.

“I called the Alaska SeaLife Center 24-hour Stranding Hotline, and standard protocol is to watch the animal for two hours before you intervene, which is sometimes hard to do,” Payton said. “When we sat on the dock he came right to us, seemingly looking for someone or something to soothe him.”

Payton and the reporter waited and watched. Later in the timeframe, an adult male sea otter started approaching aggressively, raising concerns even higher for the safety of the orphaned pup. As soon as the clock reached the two-hour mark, ASLC staff gave them the go-ahead to rescue Seldovia. The local who first reported him scooped the pup from the ocean and into their rowboat before handing him off to Payton on the dock.

Staff walked Payton through the next steps of how to assess and care for the otter until he could be transported to Seward. Using the skills taught and supplies provided during SVT’s training, Payton and his wife, also an SVT employee and trained responder, determined the otter’s age by looking at his teeth — he was only about three weeks old. They also took measurements, dried off his thick fur and noted for ASLC that he was dehydrated, malnourished and wounded. Next came planning for his transportation out of town.

“It was like something from a movie, trying to get [my] three excited kids ready for a trip, and now a baby sea otter,” Payton said. After several hours, he and his family had an extra passenger join them on the plane they had already booked to Homer. ALSC staff were waiting at the airport and swiftly took the pup for further treatment at the center. After round-the-clock care at ASLC and a determination by the federal government that Seldovia could not be released, he arrived at Shedd — his new home — on Nov. 29, 2023.

Payton said he has assisted in animal rescues for many years, but more recently started to lead the response efforts, which are only a small part of SVT’s work. The Tribe also strengthens the village’s economy, facilitates healthy lifestyles and maintains their cultural identity. Additionally, it addresses threats to subsistence resources like climate change, overharvest and oil and gas production and works to improve the village’s water and air quality.

Throughout his tenure of animal rescue, Payton said many animals he’s attended to aren’t as lucky as Seldovia. “Most of the rescues we go to don’t end as well as Seldovia’s — there’s not a long-term home or the animal is too sick. Seldovia is the first sea otter rescue I’ve led with this happy outcome,” Payton said.

This rescue was special for the community, too, because of the ongoing connection to Seldovia in his new home. Payton said Seldovia is a “total celebrity” in town, with many residents following along with his journey on Shedd’s social media accounts. “It was really cool to participate in his naming and keep a connection with the aquarium where he lives.”

“I hope to someday make it to Chicago to see him again,” Payton added. Until then, Seldovia’s story and the community of Seldovia’s heroic actions will inspire millions of aquarium guests to take action to better protect and conserve sea otters in Alaska and beyond.