Monterey Bay Aquarium's matriarchal sea otter Rosa dies

Sad news from the Monterey Bay Aquarium: Rosa, the beloved sea otter who was the facility's eldest resident, has died at 24.

The aquarium confirmed the death on its Instagram account.

Rosa, who served as a surrogate mother to 15 stranded otter pups during her time at the aquarium, was one of the longest living among her species. Wild female sea otters typically live between 15 and 20 years, officials say.

Rosa was a stranded 4-week-old pup herself when she was taken in by the aquarium in 1999, according to KSBW. At 7 months, she was released to the wild, but returned to the facility in 2022.

The aquarium says animal care teams made the decision to euthanize Rosa due to health conditions compromising her quality of life.