Sea Otter Week Brings Cute Little Critter Events to Oregon Coast, Portland, Corvallis

Published 09/23/25 at 6:25 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Newport, Oregon) - The Elakha Alliance, a nonprofit organization based in Oregon, is inviting the public to participate in Sea Otter Awareness Week (SOAW), taking place September 21 through 27, 2025.

While it's already started, there's still fun to be had in Oregon towns like Portland and its zoo, Corvallis and around the coast at Newport and Coos Bay.

This annual event is part of a national effort led by groups such as Sea Otter Savvy, Defenders of Wildlife, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Elakha Alliance. Together, these organizations aim to raise awareness about sea otters, their ecological significance, and the challenges they face in the wild.

In Oregon and along its coastline, the Elakha Alliance is partnering with the Oregon Zoo, Oregon Coast Aquarium, Fullerton Winery & Tasting Room, Artsea Craftsea, and 7 Devils Brewery to host a series of in-person events designed to connect communities with sea otter conservation efforts. This year’s theme, “Anchored in Hope,” symbolizes optimism and resilience in the face of environmental challenges.

-- Sunday Sept 21st, 10am-3pm: Sea Otter Viewing Station & Education at Oregon Zoo (Portland)

Sip 'N Paint in Corvallis

-- Monday Sept 22nd, 6pm: Webinar: Sea Otters on the Horizon: How Biologists Are Getting Oregon Ready (featuring Oregon Zoo, Oregon Coast Aquarium, and Elakha Alliance)

-- Tuesday Sept 23rd, 12pm-1pm: Float Down the Coast Live Stream at the Oregon Zoo

-- Wednesday Sept 24th, 6pm-8pm: Sea Otter Sip & Paint Night at Fullerton Wines (Portland)

-- Thursday Sept 25th, 6pm-8pm: Sea Otter Sip & Paint Night at Fullerton Winery (Corvallis)

-- Thursday Sept 25th, 7pm-9pm: Sea Otter Sip & Paint Night at 7 Devils Brewery (Coos Bay)

-- Friday Sept 26th, 6pm-9pm: Artsea Craftsea Sea Otter Paint Night Benefitting Elakha Alliance (Newport)

-- Saturday Sept 27th, 10am-3pm: Sea Otter Viewing Station & Education at Oregon Coast Aquarium (Newport)

The week concludes on Saturday, September 27 with a Sea Otter Viewing Station and educational activities at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sea otters were once abundant along the Oregon coast but were hunted nearly to extinction by the early 1900s for their valuable fur. While populations have rebounded in parts of California and Alaska, sea otters remain absent from their historic range along the Oregon and northern California coasts. What's left is nearly 800 miles of no sea otters.

“The Elakha Alliance’s mission is to to make Oregon’s marine and coastal ecosystems and communities more robust and resilient by restoring a healthy population of sea otters to the Oregon coast,” the organization said in a press release. “Feasibility studies completed in 2022 by the Elakha Alliance and the US Fish and Wildlife Service found that there would be ecological and economic benefits from returning sea otters to the region due to their importance in protecting kelp forests which are critical habitat for many marine species, including fish caught in commercial and recreational harvest.”

Additional research suggests that sea otter restoration could also bring economic benefits to coastal communities through increased tourism and environmental stewardship.

For more information, visit OregonSeaOtters.org or follow @ElakhaAlliance on Instagram.

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