🦦 North American river otter vs Sea otter 🦦
The North American river otter and the sea otter are about the same size.
| Row | 🦦 North American river otter | 🦦 Sea otter |
|---|---|---|
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the sea otter yet. | 15 mph24 km/h1 | no checked number yet |
| Weight We don't have a checked number for the North American river otter yet. | no checked number yet | 79 lb36 kg2 |
| Lives We don't have a checked number for the North American river otter yet. | no checked number yet | 23 years23 years3 |
| Eats The North American river otter eats fish; the sea otter eats meat. | fish, crayfish, frogs and other small water animals | sea urchins, crabs, clams and snails |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | rivers, lakes and marshes across North America | the cold coasts of the North Pacific, from Alaska to California |
Which one? North American river otter or sea otter
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the sea otter yet, so there is no race.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed.
Compare two more
Getting the animals ready…
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The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/river-otter-vs-sea-otter
Where these numbers come from
- National Park Service, Yellowstone, checked 30 October 2026.
- National Park Service, Kenai Fjords National Park, checked 30 October 2026.
- National Park Service, checked 30 October 2026.