Swimming Lessons for Sea Otter Babies!
The sea otter can live its entire life without leaving the water, but its babies cannot swim when they are born. So the baby has to learn to swim, and the learning starts shortly after birth when the mother otter introduces the pup to the water. From the beginning, the sea otter mother keeps her pup afloat by putting the pup on her chest. Then, gradually, the mother encourages the pup to swim on its own.
A sea otter baby might be born without the ability to swim, but their body is adapted to swimming. Sea otters have a streamlined body shape and webbed feet. Their thick fur also helps them gracefully swim through the waves.
Sea otters’ thick fur traps air, providing insulation from the cold water and buoyancy. Their dense bones also help them stay buoyant in the water. The fur is like a life jacket; it helps sea otters stay afloat without having to use a lot of energy. Often, the mother sea otter wraps the pup in kelp to protect the baby. But pups can also be seen in the open water circling round and round.
This is exactly the kind of natural engineering biomimicry looks to for inspiration — the same principle behind trapped-air insulation is already used in wetsuits and some cold-water survival gear.
We explored otters’ relationship with kelp further in Sea Otters Using Kelp as Anchor — including a real student design project inspired by it.
If you’d like to explore sea otters further with your child, my picture book Orla’s Golden Blanket: Sea Otters’ Secret to a Bright Blue Future continues their story.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is biomimicry?
Biomimicry is the practice of looking to nature for solutions, then applying what we learn to design and problem-solving. Instead of inventing from scratch, it means studying how plants, animals, and ecosystems have already solved a challenge — like staying cool, collecting water, or absorbing carbon — and adapting that strategy for human use.
How does biomimicry help address climate change?
Nature has been adapting to extreme conditions for billions of years, so many organisms already hold working solutions to problems we now face at a larger scale — cooling buildings without electricity (termite mounds), collecting water in drought (the Namib beetle), protecting coastlines from storms (mangrove roots), and capturing carbon (corals, forests, kelp). Biomimicry means studying those solutions and applying the same principles to human design.
How can children get involved in biomimicry?
Children don’t need special training to think like a biomimicrist — just curiosity and a habit of asking “how does nature solve this?” Simple ways to start include a backyard scavenger hunt for nature’s patterns, a “design-an-animal” challenge for a changing climate, or building a small model (like a passive-cooling structure or a water collector) inspired by something they’ve observed outdoors.
Is biomimicry only for scientists and engineers?
No — biomimicry is as much a mindset as a profession. Anyone can practice it by observing nature closely and asking design questions. Professional biomimicry practitioners apply it in architecture, materials science, and engineering, but the same core skill — careful observation followed by “what if we built it that way?” — is exactly what this post’s classroom and family activities are designed to build in children.
Åsa Jomård
In 2015, Åsa completed a course in Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Methodology at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. With over 10 years of experience exploring nature for inspiration and as a former member of Ben, Biomimicry Education Network, she brings both academic background and creative teaching experience to her work. Her materials seamlessly integrate stories, nature observations, and design challenges, making them perfect for inquiry-led learning in early primary contexts.
AI was used as a Thinking Partner.