The Sea Otter Recovery

Sea otters are furry marine mammals that live along the coasts of the Pacific Ocean. They were once hunted heavily for their soft, thick fur. By the early 1900s, only about 1,000 to 2,000 were left. Laws protecting sea otters have helped their numbers slowly grow.

Why They Were Hunted

Sea otters have the thickest fur of any animal on Earth. In the 1700s and 1800s, their fur was very valuable. Hunters killed hundreds of thousands of sea otters during the fur trade. By 1911, they were nearly gone. An international treaty finally banned sea otter hunting.

Otters Help the Ocean

Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning they help keep their whole ecosystem healthy. They eat sea urchins that would otherwise destroy kelp forests. When sea otters are present, kelp forests thrive. These kelp forests provide homes for fish and absorb carbon dioxide from the water.

Fun Facts

• Sea otters have about one million hairs per square inch of skin!
• Sea otters use rocks as tools to crack open clams and other shellfish.
• Sea otters hold hands while sleeping so they do not float apart.

Did You Know?

A sea otter must eat about 25 percent of its body weight in food each day just to stay warm in the cold ocean!