Tough pads help them grip their prey, like slippery fish and prickly urchins. When in a hurry, sea otters swim underwater on their stomachs, using the hind feet to pump their bodies through the water. The tail is flattened horizontally to aid in swimming. Sea otters have pointed incisor teeth in the lower and upper jaw and are used to scoop soft meat out of the shells. Large canines are used to grab, crush and scoop prey and broad flat molars are used for crushing thick shells.
Otters have good vision both above and below the water.
Little is known about their ability to smell, although there appears to be little use of this sense. The vibrissae can be moved voluntarily and are used in finding food. They can grow up to four inches in the wild, but usually wear down to two inches. Habitat and Distribution Historically, sea otters were abundant in the North Pacific from the northern coast of Japan up through the Commander Islands, across the Aleutian Islands and down the pacific coast of North America to Baja, California. Presently, sea otters have been found along the northern coast of Japan, across the Commander Islands and down the coast of Alaska, Canada and in central California.