Rosa, the Monterey Bay Aquarium's oldest sea otter, dies at 24.

Monterey Bay Aquarium announced on social media June 5 the Aquarium’s oldest sea otter, Rosa, died at age 24 after her caretakers made the tough decision to euthanize her due to her age-related health conditions. 

Known for her blond hair and head-back swimming style, Rosa was a surrogate mom to 15 otters in her time at the Aquarium.

“Rosa was one of our most playful sea otters, and even at 24 years old, she would still be seen frolicking and wrestling with the younger otters when she instigated it,” Melanie Oerter, curator of mammals, says in the post. 

Rosa was found stranded at four weeks old in 1999, and once raised, was released back into the sea, but she returned to Aquarium in 2002 to stay, not having taken to life in the wild. 

"Rosa was an incredibly smart otter! Generally calm and patient with the staff. However, she could be defiant at times and there would be no convincing her to do something she did not want to do," Oerter continues. "She would often just look at us or swim away. I believe she was the one who was really training us all of these years.”

Female sea otters typically live about 15-20 years, and the Aquarium attributes her longevity to the exceptional veterinary care she received from staff. 

“Rosa’s legacy lives on both at the Aquarium with our other resident sea otters Kit, Selka, Ivy, and Ruby, and in the wild, where sea otter pups she raised continue to raise pups of their own,” the post reads.