Sea Otter

Enhydra Lutris

Status: ENDANGERED

The sea otter is one of the smallest marine mammals. Males typically weigh between 50 -100 lbs. and femals weigh typically 30 -75 lbs. They live in the Northern Pacific Ocean, off the coasts of California, Washington, Canada and Russia, usually inhabiting offshore areas seeking shelter in kelp beds/forests.

The sea otter does not have blubber to stay warm, but has a thick pelt with long waterproof hairs that sheds gradually. Their fur is usually a dark brown color with a lighter head and face. The sea otter is able to close it's ears and nose and uses it's webbed, hind feet and thick, flat tail to propel it underwater. It uses it's sensitive whiskers to find prey at the bottom of the sea floor.

It's diet consists mostly of molluscs, sea urchins and crustaceans. The sea otter will lay on it's back and use rocks or stones as a tool to smash it's food against so that it can enjoy the soft, tasty morsel inside. Although sea otters forage alone, they will form rafts (which can contain a couple of hundred individuals) to help prevent them from drifting out to sea when they are sleeping.

The sea otter is considered a "keystone" species. This means that their presence affects the ecosystem directly. Sea otters keep sea floor herbivores (such as sea urchins) in number and therefore protecting the kelp beds/forests.

Humans are the main threat to sea otters. Sea Otters do not have too many natural predators although they are occasionally attacked by orca and sharks, it is believed that they do not have an appeasing taste to most predators. The sea otter was widely used in the fur trade and at one time was actually believed to become extinct due to such low numbers. Sea otters were also hunted because some people believe that they are the reason for the decline of certain shellfish (which are also consumed by humans). No longer allowed to be hunted, the sea otter is still threatened by fishing line and nets. Oil spills are also another major threat to this beautiful creature.

Fun fact: The sea otter is my spirit animal.

Fun fact: Although the sea otter is a rarer sight in Southern California, many places in Northern California thrive on the tourism that sea otters bring in.