Each year, the Vancouver Aquarium partners with the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society to rescue and rehabilitate hundreds of marine animals — providing critical care to some of the most vulnerable wildlife across the Pacific Northwest. The goal for every patient is to be successfully rehabilitated and released back into the ocean. For animals deemed non-releasable by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Vancouver Aquarium provides a home. In early June, four of the ten rescued sea otters currently residing at the Vancouver Aquarium —Hardy, Mak, Quatse, and Taz—will be transferred to the Aquarium du Québec.
This move has been more than a year in the making, with the intention of supporting the opening of the Aquarium du Québec’s new sea otter habitat and creating much-needed space at the Vancouver Aquarium to care for future rescued otters.
The Vancouver Aquarium is currently the only aquarium in Canada with a sea otter habitat – but with the Aquarium du Québec now welcoming these animals, that circle of care is growing. This expanded capacity means more rescued; non-releasable otters can receive the specialized support they need.
Many of these sea otters were rescued as orphaned pups and are unable to develop the essential survival skills needed for life in the wild. Through this transfer and continued collaboration, both aquariums will help raise greater awareness of their conservation efforts—while creating space for more rescue, care, and connection in the years ahead.
“All of the sea otters in our care were rescued as orphaned pups and deemed non-releasable by Canadian and U.S. government agencies,” said Vancouver Aquarium Animal Care Director Mackenzie Neale. “Our aquarium’s otter habitat provides a safe and enriching home—but it also has limits. This transfer creates much-needed space for when the next otter needs our help.”
“The Aquarium du Quebec is thrilled to introduce sea otters to visitors in Eastern Canada. This is an exceptional addition to our collection, as part of the Louphoque project. Since the specimens were rescued from the wild, this will be a fantastic educational opportunity while continuing our conservation mission,” said Aquarium du Quebec’s director Nathalie Julien Boucher.
While the move of Hardy, Mak, Quatse, and Taz marks a heartfelt goodbye for the Vancouver Aquarium team and its guests, it also represents a meaningful step forward—one that strengthens Canada’s capacity to care for rescued sea otters and to share their important role in coastal ecosystems.
Guests are invited to visit the four sea otters before May 31 for their journey east. Throughout May, they will be on public display during weekend (Saturday and Sunday) operating hours, offering guests a special opportunity to connect with these beloved animals and celebrate their next chapter. Those who can’t make it in person can catch Hardy, Mak, Quatse, and Taz on the aquarium’s Sea Otter Cam.