The Elakha Alliance, an Oregon nonprofit working to restore sea otters to the Oregon coast, invites the public to celebrate Sea Otter Awareness Month this September, culminating in Sea Otter Awareness Week (SOAW), September 20–26, 2026. While sea otters are not currently found along the Oregon coast, the month-long celebration looks toward a future when these keystone marine mammals could once again call Oregon home. Events will give Oregonians opportunities to learn about sea otters, their role in healthy coastal ecosystems, and efforts to bring them back.
SOAW is facilitated by a coalition including Sea Otter Savvy, Defenders of Wildlife, Monterey Bay Aquarium, California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Elakha Alliance. In Oregon, the Elakha Alliance is partnering with organizations and businesses including the Oregon Zoo, Oregon Coast Aquarium, Fullerton Wines, Breakside Brewery, Claim 52 Brewery, and The Portland Aquarium to host educational programs and community events throughout the month.
This year’s theme, “Rooted in Resilience,” celebrates the connections between sea otters, kelp forests, wildlife, and people – and the relationships that help coastal ecosystems and communities adapt, recover, and thrive. For Oregon, it also represents a vision for the future: restoring sea otters to the coast and helping restore balance to the marine ecosystems they once called home.
The month’s events offer something for everyone – from sea otter-themed Sip & Paint events featuring a playful take on the Mona Lisa, to sea otter viewing stations at the Oregon Zoo and Oregon Coast Aquarium, educational programs, live-streamed events, and even sea otter Drag Bingo. Whether through art, science, entertainment, or hands-on learning, these events give Oregonians a chance to celebrate sea otters, learn about their ecological importance, and support the vision of bringing them back to Oregon’s coast.
Oregon’s 2026 Sea Otter Awareness Month Events
For event details and registration, visit www.elakhaalliance.org/event/sea-otter-awareness-week.
● Sept 15th – Sea Otter Drag Bingo Benefit at Breakside Brewery – Slabtown (6pm-8pm), Portland, OR
● Sept 20th – Sea Otter Viewing Station at Oregon Zoo (10am-2pm), Portland, OR
● Sept 20th – Sea Otter Sip & Paint Night #1 at Fullerton Wines (6pm-8pm), Portland, OR
● Sept 22nd – Float Down the Coast Livestream, Virtual (12pm-1pm)
● Sept 22nd – Sea Otter Pint Night at Claim 52 Brewing (5pm-8pm), Eugene, OR
● Sept 23rd – Sea Otter Sip & Paint Night #2 at Fullerton Wines (6pm-8pm), Portland, OR
● Sept 24th – Sea Otter Bingo at Claim 52 Bayfront (6pm-8pm), Newport, OR
● Sept 26th – Sea Otter Viewing Station at Oregon Coast Aquarium (10am-5pm) Newport, OR
● Sept 26th – Sea Otter Extravaganza at The Portland Aquarium (11am-5pm) Portland, OR
About Sea Otter Restoration in Oregon
Sea otters were once abundant along the Oregon coast but were hunted nearly to extinction for their fur by the early 1900s. Although populations are recovering in parts of California, Washington and Alaska, sea otters remain absent from nearly 900 miles of their former range along the Oregon and northern California coasts.
The Elakha Alliance works to make Oregon’s marine and coastal ecosystems and communities more resilient by restoring a healthy population of sea otters to the Oregon coast. Feasibility studies completed in 2022 by the Elakha Alliance and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that sea otter restoration could provide ecological and economic benefits to the region. As a keystone species, sea otters can help maintain healthy kelp forests, which provide critical habitat for numerous marine species and support commercial and recreational fisheries. Research also indicates potential economic benefits for coastal communities through increased tourism and travel.
To learn more, visit OregonSeaOtters.org or follow @ElakhaAlliance on Instagram.