I appeal to you 'Dopers to name that book.
I purchased this novel in the mid ninties at a books-a million. It was a sci-fi/ fantasy novel. The only thing I can remember about it was that it features a race of intelligent otter-like beings. If I recall correctly a brother and sister human have a sort of coming of age story while living with these beings. For some reason the I think that the color white might feature in the title as well. Anyone have a clue? 
Here is my WAG.
Not really sci/fi, but it does feature a a brother and sister coming of age and IIRC they become friends with the otters.
Could this be it?
This seems much more likely, but Island Of The Blue Dolphins is still a kick ass book. At least it was when I read it as a youngling.
I should say I know nothing about that book. I just found it by googling some terms from the OP.
I thought Doranna Durgin had written two or three books around then with a common fantasy background featuring sentient otters, but I can’t find them under her name, so maybe it was someone else… Definitely that part of the alphabet, though!
Or, if it was a novella length story, Michael Bishop wrote The White Otters of Childhood. It’s been published separately, as well as in collections.
Nope none of those are the book I’m referring too. Blast! This is driving me batty. The Mcafferry reference explains the “white” thing though. I had rather misguidely purchased “The White Dragon” in the same trip to the store.
Upon further reflection it would seem that Mcaffrey is completely ripping off the novel I was referring to with that new series.