Meet a sea otter in new Georgia Aquarium encounter

ATLANTA — See sea otters, have your photo taken with them and offer one a snack; it's all part of the brand new Sea Otter Encounter program at the Georgia Aquarium.

The encounter joins a recent Dolphin Encounter experience at the aquarium that gets guests up close and personal with some of the aquarium's most popular inhabitants.

Erica Garcia was part of the first group of visitors to experience the Sea Otter encounter after making a tough choice between the sea otters and the dolphins.

"To me, watching them care so much for each other, and how they play with each other, they are super playful and I love that," Garcia told Nelson's News.

Garcia, her husband and mom spent the 40-minute encounter learning about the sea otters, their training, food and care as well as the aquarium's programs to help sea otters at other facilities and in the wild.

Once the educational talk concluded, it was time for a little fun. The aquarium's staff brought one of the sea otters out for Garcia and her family to get a closer look. They were able to feel its fur and feed it.

Tickets for the encounter are $55 per person in addition to the regular admission fee. Only a handful of spots for each encounter are available so guests will get a close encounter with some of the most entertaining animals at the aquarium.

WSBTV