Sea otters once ranged along the entire North Pacific Rim from Japan to Baja California
and numbered in the hundreds of thousands.
The maritime fur trade of the 1800s reduced the worldwide population to isolated remnants
totaling just a few thousand animals.
From Canada to Mexico, sea otters had been exterminated except for a small group that
had managed to survive off the rugged coast of Big Sur.
It is from these survivors that all of California sea otters descended.
Today there are sea otters in California ranging from Half Moon Bay in the North to just west
of Santa Barbara in the South.
Sea otters help restore coastal environments that have been thrown out of balance by their
absence as an apex predator.
When sea otters return to the rocky coast, the kelp forests arrive.
When they return to the estuary, unhealthy eel grass beds can be restored and flourish.
Sea otters have these effects on their environment because they need to eat a quarter of their
body weight every day.
To stay warm in a cold ocean, sea otters rely on their metabolism and dense fur.
When food becomes more scarce, they devote more and more time each day to finding enough
prey to stay warm and healthy.
For mothers with pups, the delicate balance of energy in and energy out is especially critical.
A mother with a pup approaching independence will need to both produce milk to nurse her
pup and share as much as one third of her prey with a pup.
At this point, she will be expending twice as much energy as she would for herself alone.
Searching for food, grooming their fur, socializing with other otters, caring for their pups,
these are the necessary things for every sea otter to do to survive each day.
A mother sea otter has no spare time.
Each time she has to move away from an approaching boat, she is taking time away from the essential
life-sustaining activities.
Sea otters live in some of California's most rugged places.
They also live in the same places that draw humans to the ocean for recreation, bays,
harbors, and sheltered beaches.
Otters must live where they can find food, be safe from predators, and have the best
chance of rearing their pups.
The rain mails here are all protected by federal law.
The law states that we cannot alter their natural behaviors in any way.
When recreating in the places sea otters call home, we seek the up-close otter experience
and hope to share it in the form of a photo or story.
We need to remember that our actions can affect their survival.
What seems like a minor disturbance to you, lasting just a few seconds, may add up to
a heavy burden to an otter that experiences it repeatedly each day.
There are simple things you can do to keep sea otters safe.
Give them space.
At least five lengths of a typical kayak is best.
How you approach can help.
Avoid pointing your boat directly at an otter or an otter raft.
Passing by parallel is less threatening.
Avoid circling sea otter rafts of individuals with boats, they'll feel trapped.
If other boats are already close, wait your turn, and most importantly, pay attention.
Know your sea otter behavior and watch for the early warning sign, head raised, and alert
that they have noticed your presence and may dive or swim away if you come closer.
You too, can be sea otter savvy.
