Northern sea otter pups are raised exclusively by their moms–the fathers play no part. As a result, it falls on mothers to do it all: hunting, feeding, keeping the pups warm and protecting them from predators.
The northern sea otter subspecies (E. lutris kenyoni), is found in the Aleutian Islands, Southern Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington. Within Alaska, there are 3 stocks. The Southeast stock can be found in the coastal waters of Southeast Alaska. The South central population spans from west of Glacier Bay to the eastern edge of Cook Inlet. The Southwest population stretches from the western edge of Cook Inlet out the Aleutian Islands.