1 / 6
Location
Visitor tip
Bring swimming goggles for the otter encounter. Otters are very splashy and playful, and goggles will help you see and interact with them better during the water activities without constantly wiping water from your eyes.
Visitor tip
The facility has strict ethical animal practices - if an animal isn't interested in socializing on a given day, staff will substitute with other willing animals. This means you're guaranteed quality, stress-free interactions where nothing is forced on the animals.
Best time
Check the Facebook page before your visit to see photos and videos of recent guest experiences. This gives you a realistic preview of which animals you'll encounter and helps set expectations for the types of interactions available.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Animal Sanctuary & Otter Rescue
- Highlights
- Swimming with Asian Small Clawed Otters, interacting with capybaras and 7+ animal species
- Admission
- From $530-$848 per person (reservation only)
- Mission
- $1.5M+ in charitable programs since 2008, supports Make-A-Wish and conservation
What visitors say
Amazing experience! We loved our tour of Nurtured by Nature. We interacted with capybaras (feeding and petting), foxes and lemurs (feeding), armadillos (petting - surprisingly cute!) and a sloth (petting), and saw a number of other…
My husband fell in love with an otter in 1968. That otter imprinted on his soul, fast-forward, what do you get the man who has everything for his 85th birthday you ask? You get him an encounter to swim with otters. Not only was the…
Went to their NEW LOCATION (15175 CA-76, Pauma Valley, CA 92061) in late June, 2024. In all, we were able to capture, and staff were able to help us capture, about 300 photos and videos of our visit. The ones included here are the rare…
From 61 Google reviews Read all reviews
Did You Know?
- Offers immersive swimming encounters with Asian Small Clawed Otters lasting 35 minutes to over 1 hour, where visitors can feed, pet, and swim alongside the otters in a pool setting
- Houses a successful armadillo breeding program with impeccable ethics standards, featuring animal encounters only when animals are willing and interested in socializing with humans
- Features at least 7 different exotic animal species including Asian Small Clawed Otters, capybaras, porcupines, lemurs, armadillos, sloths, and fennec foxes across 12 different species total for visitor encounters
More Family Fun Nearby
Other venues within driving distance:
Own this venue? Stand out from the competition.
Zoos listings that are Featured get seen first by thousands of families every month.
- Priority placement in search
- Photo gallery showcase
- Insider tips from visitors
- Highlighted in dedicated featured section