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This cuddly, charismatic creature has known tough times. Shot for their dense fur, sea otter populations tumbled in the Pacific Ocean until an international hunting halt in 1911. In B.C., it was too late. Our sea otters were lost for good. But because of nuclear tests in Alaska, 89 sea otters were relocated to the west coast of Vancouver Island between 1969 and 1972. It was a good location, with lots of shallow water for diving and rocks rich with tasty shellfish and sea urchins. Today, the west coast of Vancouver Island supports 2,600 of these Alaskan refugees, from the top tip of the Island to Clayoquot Sound. Some of these Alaskan otters also found their way to the outer coastal waters near Bella Bella (around Goose Island). About 600 now inhabit those waters. So the reintroduction was a success. And for some, that’s a problem. Because of their penchant for valuable shellfish, our growing and spreading sea otter population worries commercial shellfish harvesters and First Nations communities. Sea otters don’t have blubber and eat a lot to keep warm. “It’s definitely an issue,” says Laurie Convey, chair of the sea otter recovery team. “There is no known solution at this time other than killing off sea otters.” According to Convey, First Nations have a constitutional right in Canada to hunt sea otters. And as populations are recovering, permitted sea otter hunts loom on the horizon. “It’s just going to be a matter of time for this to happen,” says Convey. (Alaskan First Nations already hunt sea otters for subsistence). So tough times might continue for our cuddly friend (and foe). Sea otters also face threats from ongoing oil spills, a problem facing so much of our marine wildlife. Oil breaks down the sea otter’s warm fur and the creatures die from hypothermia. Sea otters also dangerously ingest the oil, while grooming their fur. Another concern is the lack of genetic diversity in our transplanted Alaskan otters, Convey says. With similar genetics, any devastating disease or environmental event would affect many or all. (By the way, California sea otters caught a cat infection presumably caused by people flushing kitty litter down toilets.) And there is also that disturbing situation in southwest Alaska, where sea otter populations have mysteriously plummeted by two-thirds since 1980. Convey says it’s a concern for B.C. scientists, demonstrating that just as populations can grow, they can also decline rapidly. But for now, B.C. enjoys stable and growing populations of this unique creature. Did you know: the sea otter’s fur is thought to be the thickest of any living animal? The sea otter is actually a member of the weasel family and also has sharp teeth and claws. And it’s one of the only mammals other than primates to use tools — sea otters will use rocks to break the shells of their prey. Sea otters are also well known for swimming on their backs, with their
hind feet sticking up out of the water. While on their backs, they use their
chests as a dinner table, eating their prey bit by bit. According to Convey,
Washington sea otters are occasionally spotted off Port Renfrew; one was
also seen near the San Juan Islands, close to Victoria. So keep your eyes
peeled around rocky reefs and the surf zone.
The reintroduction of Sea Otters has had a dramatic impact
on the nearshore community of species in British Columbia, as has been
documented during ten years of research. Sea Otters feed on sea urchins and
other herbivorous invertebrates which graze intensively on seaweed. In
British Columbia, there does not appear to be any other non-human predator
capable of controlling sea urchin populations. During the 100 or so years
that Sea Otters were absent from their historical range, urchin populations
increased and kelp forests along the rocky coastlines declined. With the
return of the Sea Otters, urchins are disappearing and kelp forests are
growing.
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