California aquarium announces the death of a sea otter who was named after Betty White

LONG BEACH, Calif. — A California aquarium announced on Friday that one of their sea otters, named after the late Betty White, has died.

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The Aquarium of the Pacific located in Long Beach, California, announced on Twitter Friday that Betty, their southern sea otter, died suddenly. She was 10 years old.

The Los Angeles Times said that the usual life span for a southern otter is between 15 to 20 years in the wild and possibly longer if raised in captivity like the Aquarium of the Pacific.

“Up until her passing, Betty had no known health issues or changes in behavior,” the Aquarium of the Pacific said.

According to KCBS, Betty was named after a huge animal lover and supporter of the Aquarium of the Pacific, the late Betty White.

“In recent months, Betty had been one of the otters helping several newly arrived rescued sea otter pups navigate life at the Aquarium in the Sea Otter Habitat. Betty was known for high-speed eating, particularly squid, and her adorable clapping behavior. She will be greatly missed,” says Brett Long, the Aquarium of the Pacific curator of marine mammals and birds.

The Los Angeles Times said Betty arrived at the Aquarium of the Pacific in 2012 when she was just 10 weeks old after she was orphaned at Del Monte Beach in Northern California, and wildlife officials determined she was too young to survive on her own.

California’s southern sea otters like Betty are a threatened species that are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Aquarium of the Pacific said that Betty met her namesake in 2012 to celebrate White’s 90th birthday. White passed away on December 31 at the age of 99, according to the Los Angeles Times.

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