Odder’s journey demonstrates healing in the face of traumatic events. Odder sustains both physical and emotional wounds from which she must recover. From her recovery after a shark attack to her emotionally processing the loss of her mother, Odder’s primary development in the novel comes as she heals from experiences in the sometimes-cruel ocean.

This theme develops mostly in Part 3 as Odder recovers from her injuries to accept a new role as surrogate mother to Otter #209. In the wake of the shark attack, Odder grapples with guilt and regret, leading her to renounce her former identity: “Odder promises herself that / when she returns to the water / she will be different, / cautious and sensible and / grown-up and boring. / […] She will stop being Odder” (183). The introduction of the otter pups triggers past emotional wounds; when she sees Kairi with her surrogate pup, Odder again ponders what became of her mother. As this painful question echoes in her head, Odder initially rejects her own surrogate pup because she feels that she isn’t “calm and kind / and patient and careful” like Kairi is (233). To find healing, Odder must resolve the sense of loss and inadequacy she feels.