Wednesday was World Otter Day, and the National Aquarium had some happy news to share. Apparently, there is an uptick in otter sightings in the Harbor Wetland exhibit.
In a post on its social media accounts, the Aquarium wrote, “Otter alert! If you’ve stopped by Harbor Wetland recently, you may have heard that wild river otters have been visiting more frequently, even during the day! There have also been increased otter sightings around the Harbor, from Canton to the promenade near West Shore Park.”
The post continued, explaining that the Aquarium is implementing an “otter protocol” to keep both guests and otters safe.
“When the otters visit, staff will ask guests to move off the wetland to give our furry visitors space to eat, rest and play! Guests can still enjoy views of the otters from the pier or check in for more photos and trail cam videos on our social channels. Happy #WorldOtterDay!”
While visitors may be slightly disappointed to not be able to see the otters up close, it is certainly encouraging that the waters are healthy enough to attract these adorable creatures for their rest stops.
The Harbor Wetland exhibit opened in August 2024 as a free outdoor educational exhibit spanning 10,000 square feet, designed to connect people to a re-created salt marsh that mimics the one that existed there hundreds of years ago. Located between Inner Harbor Piers 3 and 4, the exhibit was designed to draw native marine species back to the harbor, with its 32,000 grasses and shrubs.
There has been considerable celebration about the fact that the Inner Harbor’s water quality has improved so substantially that people can now swim in it, but now we can pause to appreciate the otter side of the coin.
