Nuka The Sea Otter Dies At Oregon Coast Aquarium

NEWPORT, Ore. – Sad news from the Oregon Coast Aquarium Wednesday.

Nuka, the resident northern sea otter, has died.

The exact cause of death isn’t known yet, but the aquarium says he needed an emergency procedure after staff observed strange behavior and symptoms.

Nuka was just shy of his 10th birthday.

“Nuka was our largest sea otter, and the easiest for our guests to identify,” said OCAq Curator of Marine Mammals Brittany Blades, who worked with Nuka since his arrival to the Aquarium. “He enjoyed wrapping himself in kelp strips and sleeping atop a rock in the center of the habitat for everyone to see. We will all miss him so much.”

He had lived in Newport since 2014.