They will probably die from starvation or gradually freeze to death without their mother. So basically, the pups have to be with their mothers at all times, until they are ready to fend for themselves. While the mother forages for food , the pup is usually clo se by floating. The good thing about baby otters is that they can t sink. Sometimes the pup throws its food down because they don t like the certain taste.
Some pups eat starfishes or others like sea slugs.
They often throw temper tantrums. The mother withstands this treatment, until they are around six months of age. Week by week the pups learn to forage for food, developing a sense of taste for their mother s food. They also learn to handle spiky sea urchins, pinching crab claws, and to break shells with a rock. The pups stay with their mothers for an average of 6 months, to learn survival skills.