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The sea otter was once abundant in a wide arc across the North Pacific ocean, from northern Japan to Alaska to Mexico. By 1911, hunting for the animal's luxurious fur had reduced the sea otter population to fewer than 2000 individuals in the most remote and inaccessible parts of its range. The IUCN lists the sea otter as an endangered species.
During the six-year interval, it was observed that while Clam Lagoon sea otter population remained relatively stable, population in Kuluk Bay decreased by a dramatic 76%. When taking into account the caloric needs of a killer whale, the study concluded that merely 5.05 attacks would have been required at minimum in order to lower the sea otter ...
The sea otter population is thought to have once been 150,000 to 300,000, [24] stretching in an arc across the North Pacific from northern Japan to the central Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. The fur trade that began in the 1740s reduced the sea otter's numbers to an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 members in 13 colonies.
Federal wildlife officials have taken the first step toward potentially reintroducing sea otters to their former habitats in Northern California and Oregon. Sea otters were hunted to near-extinction.
Population sizes are largely unknown, though two species, the sea mink and Japanese otter, were hunted to extinction in 1894 and 1979, respectively, and several other species are endangered. Some species have been domesticated, e.g. the ferret and some populations of the South American tayra .
Today, the estuary is home to more than 120 otters and is the only one along the West coast that has been significantly colonized by southern sea otters. And they love to eat green crabs.
Sea otters in California reach 50 to 70 pounds, while those in Alaska can weigh up to 100 pounds. In contrast to river otters , sea otters must survive amid the chilly waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Retrospective estimates of worldwide sea-otter numbers before the bulk exploitation of these mammals range from 150,000 to 300,000. [42] Sea otters are "slow breeders, only one sometimes two pups being born at a time" each year, which makes the population vulnerable in conditions of intensive hunting. [43] [44]