Otter Coloring Pages

Make free printable otter coloring pages from 14 pictures we drew ourselves: sea otter floating on its back, otter holding a shell, two otters holding paws, mother otter with her pup, river otter on a rock, otter swimming, otter with a fish, otter resting in the kelp, otter sliding down a bank, otter peeking out of the water, otter holding a starfish, sleepy otter under the stars, otter close-up portrait, big simple otter. The sea otters float on their backs with their heads, paws and hind flippers above the water, the way aquarium guides describe them resting, and some hold a shell or a starfish on their chests; the river otters have the long body, short legs, small ears and long tapering tail that zoo guides point to. None of them is a named, film, book, game or cartoon otter or any brand or mascot, and nothing carries words, brand or product names or logos. Print one big picture on a page, a grid of four or six small ones, a scene with two sea otters floating among the kelp by a rock under clouds and a sun, a fold-in-half card, or an otter mandala with small otters round the edge and a new pattern at the press of a button. Plain otters to decorate prints 1, 2, 4 or 6 floating otters with no eyes or whiskers, so children can draw their own; one fills a 186 mm square on US Letter. Type a child’s name for a name page, or paste a class list to get the same picture for everyone with each name at the top. Choose simple, medium or detailed lines, never thinner than 0.5 mm. Download one multi-page PDF for US Letter or A4, a 300 DPI PNG of every page, or an SVG. No sign-up, no watermark.

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How to make and print otter coloring pages

1. Choose what to make: one big picture, several small pictures, the otters in the kelp scene, plain otters to decorate, the lettering poster, a name page, a class set, a card, a mandala, or a whole pack.
2. Pick the picture, or tick the ones you want for a grid or pack.
3. Choose the lines: simple for little ones, medium, or detailed for older children and adults.
4. Add a title, change the poster words, type a name or paste your class list, and pick the lettering.
5. Choose US Letter or A4 and download the PDF, or a PNG of every page.
6. Print on plain paper at 100% (Actual size).

What you can use it for

• Ocean and sea-life lessons: sea otters, kelp and shells
• River and wetland nature studies: the river otter on a rock or with a fish
• Aquarium and zoo trips: a page to color before or after the visit
• Class sets with each child’s name
• Toddlers: the otter close-up portrait and the otter peeking out of the water with simple lines
• Detailed otter mandalas, the pair holding paws and the close-up for older children and adults

The 14 otter pictures

Picture	Shapes to color: simple	Medium	Detailed
Sea otter floating on its back	24	42	80
Otter holding a shell	20	40	73
Two otters holding paws	27	51	85
Mother otter with her pup	23	46	81
River otter on a rock	12	22	33
Otter swimming	11	15	25
Otter with a fish	12	27	42
Otter resting in the kelp	15	28	52
Otter sliding down a bank	10	15	24
Otter peeking out of the water	9	20	34
Otter holding a starfish	23	38	76
Sleepy otter under the stars	16	31	57
Otter close-up portrait	8	16	31
Big simple otter	17	30	50

Shapes are the closed outlines the tool draws for each picture at each level, counted by the tool. Simple keeps the otter (head, ears, whisker pad, nose, closed eyes, body, paws, flippers or legs, tail) and the water, rock or bank; Medium adds the inner ears, the whiskers, the belly line, the toes and the lines on the shell, fish and kelp; Detailed adds more whiskers, fur marks and the smallest lines.

Plain otters to decorate

Otters per page	Each fits (US Letter)	Each fits (A4)
1	186 mm square	181 mm square
2	120 mm square	129 mm square
4	89 mm square	86 mm square
6	77 mm square	83 mm square

Sizes are for the page with No title chosen; a title at the top makes them a little smaller. Each plain otter is a floating otter with no eyes or whiskers (9 shapes: head, whisker pad, nose, two ears, body, two flippers and tail), so the face is up to you.

Simple to detailed lines

Lines	Outlines	Small details	Good for
Simple	1.8 mm	1.4 mm	Toddlers, chunky crayons, big markers
Medium	1.1 mm	0.8 mm	Most children, colored pencils
Detailed	0.75 mm	0.5 mm	Older children and adults, fine pens and pencils

Line widths are measured at print size. The thinnest line on any page is 0.5 mm, so every shape stays open to color.

What you can make

Page	What prints
One big picture	One picture filling the page, with an optional title at the top and an optional frame
Several small pictures	Four or six pictures on one page, each in its own box
Otters in the kelp	Two sea otters floating among the kelp by a rock, one holding a shell, under clouds and a sun; Medium and Detailed add the smaller lines
Plain otters to decorate	1, 2, 4 or 6 plain floating otters, to draw your own face or patterns
Lettering poster	Two lines of big hollow letters to color (“Hello” and “Otter” or your own words) above three pictures
Name page	Words such as “Colored by” and a name in large hollow letters, with three pictures
Class set	The same picture for every child, each page with one child’s name at the top (up to 40 names)
Fold-in-half card	Picture and title on the front, a small picture on the back: 139.7 × 215.9 mm (5.5 × 8.5 in) from US Letter, 148.5 × 210 mm (A5) from A4
Otter mandala	A symmetric pattern with small otters round the edge; every pattern number gives a new design
Whole pack	Your ticked pictures, one per page, plus the scene, the poster, three mandalas and a name page if you choose

Titles you can choose: Otterly Lovely, Hello Otter, Happy Birthday, Best Friends, Sea Otter Day, or your own words. Lettering styles: Fredoka, Baloo 2, Sniglet, Cherry Bomb One.

Coloring ideas

• Fur in chocolate, caramel or gray-brown, with a paler cream or silvery chest, muzzle and head.
• The water in blues and greens, the kelp in olive and amber, the rock in grays.
• Bright extras: an orange starfish, a pink-and-white shell, a silver fish.

Printing tips

• Every page keeps a 12.7 mm (half inch) margin from the paper edge, on US Letter and A4.
• Plain paper is fine for crayons and pencils; use thicker paper or card for markers or paint.
• Print one page first and check it before printing a whole pack or class set.
• Choose Detailed lines only with fine pens or sharp pencils, and Simple lines with chunky crayons.

More things to make

• Turn a photo of an otter from a zoo or aquarium trip into line art to color: Photo to Coloring Page.
• Draw your own symmetric patterns: Mandala Maker.
• A paper mask to color as an animal mask: Mask Template.
• A word puzzle to go with the pages: Word Search Maker.

Frequently asked questions

Are these otter coloring pages free?

Yes. Every page is free to make, download and print, with no sign-up and no watermark. All the pictures are our own drawings.

Which otter pictures are there?

14: sea otter floating on its back, otter holding a shell, two otters holding paws, mother otter with her pup, river otter on a rock, otter swimming, otter with a fish, otter resting in the kelp, otter sliding down a bank, otter peeking out of the water, otter holding a starfish, sleepy otter under the stars, otter close-up portrait, big simple otter. On top of those there is a kelp scene, plain otters to decorate, a mandala, a lettering poster and name pages.

Why are the sea otters floating on their backs?

That is how sea otters rest and eat. Monterey Bay Aquarium describes them resting on their backs with their heads, arms and flippers in the air, and using the chest as a table when they eat, sometimes cracking a shell with a rock. The pictures show them that way, with a shell or a starfish held on the chest.

What is the difference between the sea otter and river otter pictures?

The sea otters lie on their backs in the water. The river otters stand or swim side-on and show what the Smithsonian’s National Zoo describes: a long, streamlined body, short legs, a small head and ears, and a long, tapering tail that makes up to 40 percent of the otter’s length.

How do I color an otter so it looks real?

The National Zoo describes river otters as brown to gray, with a lighter, silvery underside. Use browns for the back and a paler tan or gray for the chest and muzzle; the pictures leave the colors to you.

Are these a cartoon or film otter?

No. Every otter is our own drawing, not any named, film, book, game or cartoon otter and not any brand or mascot, and nothing in the pictures carries a name or logo.

Which otter pages suit toddlers and preschoolers?

Choose Simple lines: big shapes with thick outlines. The otter close-up portrait and the otter peeking out of the water have the fewest shapes, as the table shows.

Can I make a page for every child in my class?

Yes. Choose Class set, pick a picture and paste the names, one per line, up to 40. Each child gets the same picture with their own name in hollow letters at the top, all in one PDF.

Are there otter coloring pages for adults?

Yes. Choose Otter mandala with Detailed lines: each pattern number gives a different symmetric design. Choose 16 repeats for the most intricate pattern.

Can I sell what I make with these pages?

Yes. The pictures are our own drawings, and the note under the tool sets out how you may use them, including for things you sell.

How do I print the coloring pages?

Download the PDF and print it on plain paper. Choose 100% or Actual size to keep the margins and sizes as drawn; Fit to page also works if your printer cuts off the edges.

Is anything uploaded?

No. Everything runs in your browser. Names and words are not sent anywhere, and nothing is saved when you close the page.