Opal the otter makes her debut at Monterey Bay Aquarium

MONTEREY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Opal the Otter is making a splash at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, having made its debut Tuesday.

The world-famous aquarium welcomed its newest otter addition on April 29, 2025. Opal was found stranded as a pup near San Luis Obispo in February 2024.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services deemed her unreleasable back to the wild. Opal had been rehabilitating to prepare her to enter the sea otter exhibit.

The otter is expected to move in and out of the exhibit while she adjusts to her new home, so don't be alarmed if she is not visible on your visit.

The name for Opal was chosen through a poll, where fans and guests could vote on social media for the new name.

Aquarium staff say that naming the otters plays an important role in training them. The names are given to be distinctly different from each other, and easy to learn.

Opal's role at the exhibit isn't just entertaining guests. Resident otters act as adoptive mothers to newcomers and pups who enter the facility. Those otters will teach them the skills needed to survive in the wild.

The Aquarium's Sea Otter Program works hard to help the threatened species return across the California coast. Sea Otters remain an important part of a healthy marine habitat and continue to protect the kelp forests.

People can also view Opal and the other otters on the Aquarium's live cam.