SEATTLE — Adaa the sea otter was euthanized at the Seattle Aquarium on Sunday, to humanely end his struggle with cancer.
At 22 years and 2 months old, Adaa was the oldest male sea otter ever known and the oldest sea otter at zoos and aquariums in the U.S.
His disease was diagnosed Feb. 18 and was considered terminal. Aquarium staff treated the elderly otter with medications, including oral steroids to suppress the cancerous cells and give him good quality of life in his remaining days.
That he lived at all is remarkable. Adaa was about 4 months old when he was found on a remote airport runway at Port Heiden, Alaska, in 2000.
His estimated birth year was determined by the condition of his pelage, or fur, and teeth.
Adaa (Aleut for “come ashore”) lived at the Oregon Coast Aquarium until April 2004, when he was transferred to the Seattle Aquarium. He moved again in 2012 to the Oregon Zoo temporarily following the birth of his daughter, Sekiu, to allow her and her mother, Aniak, the space to bond without the presence of a male. In the wild, females and pups are usually on rafts without males present.
Adaa was returned to the family after the pup was weaned.
He had favorite pastimes, including crunching ice under teeth powerful enough to break open a crab. He was also known for hopping on his rear flippers when on land, instead of walking. And he made soft cooing sounds while chewing, remembered Julie Carpenter, Curator of Birds and Mammals for the Aquarium.
He was so trusting of staff that even when he was ailing in February, he allowed staff to X-ray him and take a sample of fluids that had rounded his abdomen — the first clue that something was amiss. A test of the fluid detected cancerous cells.
As his last days approached, staff continuously evaluated his quality of life. How was his appetite? Could he still move about normally? Could he interact with the other otters? Could he groom his coat?
“It’s a constant balancing act, to make sure we are proving the best care for him,” Carpenter said.
By Wednesday, senior veterinarian Caitlin Hadfield informed the staff: “We’re not seeing a response to his meds (not entirely unexpected, but we were hoping for something by now.) He is still eating well and interacting normally, but his abdomen keeps getting bigger and it’s affecting more things.
“We are trying a few med changes that started today … but I think a euthanasia decision is probably close.”
Staff made sure Adaa had his favorite ice to crunch, and all the foods he most relished. “Surf clam, Dungeness crab. Shrimp, live mussels, those were his favorites,” Carpenter said. “Pretty much whatever he wanted.”
By Sunday, top medical staff decided it was time.
Adaa enjoyed a last meal of surf clam and Dungeness crab. Later that day, he was completely sedated, then euthanized. “It was quick, and it was peaceful,” Carpenter said.
While she and others who cared for the sea otter for so long are sad, there is so much to celebrate, Carpenter said, starting with his longevity. She estimated that in the wild, sea otters live into their mid to late teens. “You don’t see geriatric sea otters.”
Adaa is survived by his daughter at the Seattle Aquarium, and a son, Alki, at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. His other son, Chugach, also in Pittsburgh, predeceased him.
Adaa’s passing leaves the Seattle Aquarium with two sea otters: Sekiu, and Mishka, another rescue found in a fishing net in Alaska in 2015.
Adaa was a favorite with visitors and beloved by the staff, said Carpenter, who will miss his personality in particular. “He was very gentle, and had very sweet disposition.”
