Sea Otters

VIDEO COMING SOON

Sea otters possess the world’s densest fur, up to a million hairs per square inch, insulating them in the waters of the North Pacific. In the 18th and 19th centuries, their thick warm pelts became luxury items in Europe and Asia, and by the 1900’s, hunters nearly wiped them out. The first ever international treaty on wildlife preservation in 1911 and the Marine Mammal Protection act in 1972 dramatically reduced hunting. Back from the brink of extinction, sea otters recovered from only 2,000 individuals to an estimated 125,000. It was later discovered that in areas where sea otters were eliminated, kelp forest ecosystems were devastated by an overabundance of sea urchins - the otter’s primary food source. Where the otters were reintroduced, kelp forests flourished. 

- Sea Otter Foundation and Trust, The Guardian.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Support kelp forest and sea otter recovery programs along the California and Pacific Northwest coasts.

• Reduce plastic waste and chemical runoff.

• Report stranded or injured otters to a local marine mammal rescue center rather than approaching them.