The Very Clever Otto's (the Otter's) Motto

This was our first bedtime story. The inspiration for this came when we found out otters hold hands while sleeping. It is true. Otters hold hands to form ‘rafts’ while sleeping? So that they don't drift apart while asleep. They tie themselves up in kelp for the same reason.

Otters are also excel at using tools. They use rocks to crack open shells, then float on their backs, open a crab (or clam) using a rock they place on their chests (i.e., use their chest as a table). Then they slurp away!

Otters are a keystone species because they keep kelp forests healthy. Kelp forests are rich ecosystems, a nursery for marine life. Moreover, kelp sequesters carbon (as well as tropical rainforests, according to some studies). Kelp forests suck large quantities of carbon dioxide, turn it into sugar, and release oxygen into the air. If otters didn’t eat sea urchins, sea urchins would destroy kelp forests. Check out the BBC narrated by Sir David Attenborough clip.

Other excellent sites on otters are here and Monterey Bay Aquarium.

We're reposting this story - updated and with new images - because this started it all!

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Otto, Toby, and Toro were three sea otters, who lived in Morro Bay, California. Otto, Toby, and Toro did everything together. They ate sea urchins, crabs, and oysters together. They played in the kelp forests together.

When they slept, they held hands, as otters normally do!

One day, while the three of them were asleep, Otto woke up. He was hungry! He wanted a juicy sea urchin! A crunchy crab! A yummy oyster! But how could he eat... when his friends were sleeping on either side of him, holding hands?

If he let go of Toby’s and Toro’s hands, they would float apart! Be lost at sea!

But he was SO HUNGRY!

So, Otto let go of his friends’ hands. “Stay there,” Otto said to his sleeping friends. “Do not go anywhere. Don't drift away. I’ll be back soon.” And Otto dove underwater and found the biggest oyster he had ever seen. It was gigantic!

When he resurfaced with an oyster, his friends were where he had left them, asleep. Perfect! Otto settled down to do some serious snacking. He took out his favorite rock from under his armpit. His plan: float on his back, the rock on his chest, crack the oyster using the rock...

And slurp it all up!

Unfortunately, the oyster was tough and it broke Otto’s rock. So, Otto swam towards a big boulder. “Oh!” he said. “This is bigger and better. This will crack my snack!”

Meanwhile, a bunch of tourists on Morro Bay were pointing to him.

"So cute," they cooed.

Otto huffed. "Please," he said. "I'm not just cute. Do you know how important I am? If I didn't eat those sea urchins, the kelp forests would be destroyed and do you know how important kelp is?" Otto swam toward the large boulder that would definitely crack his oyster when he saw…

Toby and Toro were drifting apart! Floating away! Bobbing off with the waves! They would be lost at sea if he didn't do something! They would be lost to Otto and each other forever.

“Toby!” Otto yelled. “Toro! Wake up!”

But Toby and Toro didn’t stir.

“Toby! Toro!” Otto yelled again. “Can you hear me?”

But Toby and Toro were fast asleep and quite far away.

“Now what?” Otto said, panicking. “What should I do? Give up this delicious, big oyster? Or give up my two dear friends? I must choose between my oyster and my friends? Oh no!"

Moments ticked by as Otto tried to find a way to eat the oyster and hang on to his friends.

Friends?

Oyster?

Friends?

Oyster?

Friends?

Oyster?

Friends?

Oyster?

Then Otto had a brilliant idea.

Otto dove again and went low. He chose the longest and strongest kelp that grew from the ocean floor. Then he swam up to his friends and tied them with the kelp so they remained rooted to a spot. "There!" he said. "Now you will not drift off with the waves."

Then he swam back to the oyster he had left on the boulder. He cracked it with a single blow.

“Before you oyster,” Otto said, happily. “Kelp your friends.”

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