Questions & answers

Cancellations with 30 or more days notice receive a full refund or a one-time reschedule. Within 30 days, reservations are non-refundable and cannot be rescheduled. Reservations are transferable to anyone 18 or older at any time; just let us know before your date. Booking multiple dates in one calendar year incurs a $100 per person fee. Donor program payments are donations and are non-refundable. Refunds are processed within 30 days.

Part of the Donor Otter Swim is. Of the $848 reservation, roughly $200 covers the gifts donor guests take home and about $48 covers processing fees, so approximately $600 is tax-deductible as a charitable gift. The Public Otter Swim and CapyHour are not tax-deductible, though their fees still fund animal care and conservation. A donation made outside a reservation is fully tax-deductible. Your confirmation is your receipt; consult your tax advisor for your situation.

Our Asian small-clawed otters are born and raised at our facility from captive-born parents originating at European and North American zoos. Other animals come from conservation breeding programs, surplus zoo placements, and rescues. We are USDA, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, and California Fish and Wildlife permitted and inspected.

Asian small-clawed otters do not make good pets. They need full-time specialized care and constant enrichment, are territorial, and can be aggressive. We never withhold food for training; every swim is voluntary and initiated by the otters.

No. Visiting Nurtured by Nature is by reservation only. The available programs are the Public Otter Swim, the Donor Otter Swim, and CapyHour.

The otter pool is kept between 90 and 93 degrees. Pool time runs 35 minutes to an hour, depending on how long the otters want to swim.

Reservations open one calendar year at a time, usually in November for the year ahead. We announce on social media before availability goes live. There is no waitlist, though cancellations can create openings.

The Public and Donor Otter Swims require a minimum age of 16; CapyHour requires a minimum age of 13. Any guest aged 13 to 17 must attend with a parent or legal guardian who also holds their own paid reservation. Every guest needs their own paid reservation; one reservation admits one person, and there are no observer or tag-along spots. Photo ID and a digital waiver are required.

Our programs were created to bring joy to children in need. The public and donor programs operate on a limited basis, and their fees support the operating costs that make the need-based encounters possible.

No. We do not offer general admission, observer spots, or partial tours. Every attendee needs their own paid reservation and must meet the age minimum. You may transfer a reservation to another guest 18 or older if you let us know before your date, but one reservation still admits only one person.

Please stay home if you are feeling ill. As of November 2022 we no longer check vaccination status, and full-face snorkels are no longer required. A digital waiver is required before your visit, and guests assume the risks related to COVID-19 exposure. The standard cancellation policy applies.