Sea Otters Were Hunted To Near Extinction

Friday, 09 November 2007

During the fur trade of the 18th and 19th centuries, southern sea otters were hunted to near extinction. Today only about 2,200 otters can be found off California's central coast. Since January 1977, US Fish and Wildlife Service has placed sea otters on the Endangered Species list so they are protected by state and federal laws. If you have never been to the Pacific Northwest and seen the sea otters that you are missing out on one of the most loveable and cutest animals on the planet. I may be biased, but is my all time favorite animal and every time I go to the Vancouver Aquarium, I literally can spend all day watching these playful creature frolic and play. Due to the over zealous fur trade, the sea otter was almost hunted to extinction. Though these practices are now banned and no longer exist the sea otter population has not recovered from massive hunting in the early part of the 1900’s. Today the main threat to the sea otters is pollution due oil spills and the destruction of habitat due to pollution. Polluting the ocean waters has a cause and affect which directly impacts the lives of all marine creatures and especially the sea otters who hunt live off the pacific ocean.   Vancouver Aquarium live otter cam   http://www.vanaqua.org/ottercam California Sea Otter Tax Check-Off A small contribution from every Californian will go a long way towards helping to recover one of California's most charismatic and wonderful species, the sea otter.     -- From contributing writer Stan Leung., November 5, 2007

 

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