Meet Sprout! Public Names Sea Otter At Marine Mammal Center

SAUSALITO, CA – A southern sea otter pup in rehabilitation at The Marine Mammal Center in Marin County has a new name. The female pup was named "Sprout" after the Sausalito-based center received more than 4,500 votes from visitors to the center's hospital, website and social media pages.

The public initially suggested more than 800 names, but veterinarians working with Sprout narrowed down the list to six options, which they said best suited the young otter's personality. The other choices were Abby, Harper, Harry Otter, Lola and Zoe.

Sprout was just a few months old when she was stranded in Monterey in February. Veterinarians said she was malnourished, had a severe parasite infection and suffered from seizures. Test results later showed she had been exposed to domoic acid, a biotoxin that sometimes builds up in shellfish and can cause damage to the heart and brain.

Sprout was transferred to The Marine Mammal Center to be a companion for another rescued female sea otter pup named Langly, who had been stranded with her mother in San Luis Obispo County. Langly's mother died after being bitten by a shark.

Southern sea otters are a threatened species, and bites from great white sharks are a leading cause of their deaths in California. Although the sharks do not usually eat sea otters, scientists believe they get mistaken for seals.

The public can continue to help Sprout during her rehabilitation process by symbolically adopting her through the center's Adopt-a-Seal program. Those who do will receive an adoption certificate with a photo of Sprout and her pen mate Langly, along with both of their stories. Center officials will use the adoption fee to help feed the otters sustainably-caught seafood and buy lifesaving veterinary equipment for use at the center.

The Marine Mammal Center is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at 2000 Bunker Road.

Previous:

Help Name Rescued Sea Otter At Marine Mammal Center

Main photo: Langly (left) and her companion (right) enjoy enrichment activities in their rehabilitation pool. The unnamed otter has been exposed to the biotoxin domoic acid. Photo by Sarah van Schagen/The Marine Mammal Center