Featured Image Credit:Monterey Bay Aquarium
By Eva Gruber
Good news can be something of a rare breed in the natural world, and yet here we are. Success stories manage to come about when we conduct a proper study and manage our limited natural resources. For the first time, based on a study just released by the USGS, the southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) population has increased above a threshold that might allow the US Fish and Wildlife to consider removing them from the Endangered Species List. YAY!
To celebrate, here are 4 things you need to know about the southern sea otter’s recovery.
Southern sea otters are one of a kind.
The southern, or California sea otter, is found only in California and ranges from San Mateo County southward to Santa Barbara County. It looks distinct from the two other subspecies – the northern and Kuril sea otter – with a slightly shorter rostrum (snout) and blocky head. They were listed as threatened in 1977 under the Endangered Species Act.
They ALMOST became extinct.
Sea otters once ranged from Baja California to up north along the Pacific coast, all the way up to Alaska around the Pacific Rim, to Russia and Japan. Fur hunters nearly wiped them out from overhunting in the 1700s and 1800s. They nearly erased the entire population, traveling all the way to California in order to harvest the luxurious (and highly lucrative) coats of these fluffy marine mammals.
Unable to recover from such heavy targeting, the sea otters nearly disappeared. The historic population of southern sea otters prior to hunting was thought to be around 16,000 individuals. They were thought to be extinct from California until a group of 50 survivors were spotted in 1938 near the coast of Big Sur.
All of California’s sea otters are the descendants of the small group of 50 survivors that were practically decimated by of the fur trade. It’s amazing to think that had those 50 individuals not been able to hide away and survive, then there would be no sea otters in California today.
No blubber, no worries.
Unlike most other marine mammals, sea otters lack a thick layer of blubber which could come in handy in cold water. Instead, their fur is incredibly dense – it’s actually more dense than any other animal on the planet, with up to 1 million hairs per square inch. Compare that to a human’s entire head which only has about 100,000 hairs. The density prevents water from ever touching the skin and keeps the animals warm in the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean. This quality in particular is what made humans harvest their fur to near extinction.
The species is on the rise.
If the southern sea otter population tallies above 3,090 individuals for the next two years, then they could be candidates for removal from the Endangered Species List. Biologists are cautious yet also optimistic, because the rate of increase is much lower than other recovering populations. Unfortunately, mortality rates seem to be especially high due to predation, infection and toxins in the water.
We’re keeping our fingers crossed for these little guys! Find out how YOU can help sea otters here.