Can. ), the Sea Otter population in Canada has increased to about 900 animals and has been growing at a rate of 17 to 20 percent per year. Hundreds of thousands of sea otters used to live on the Pacific coast between northern Mexico to Alaska. Gregr E.J., L.M. To get food, a sea otter may hammer open shellfish with small rocks or dive over 100 metres into the murky ocean depths. In a normal day they’ll eat one quarter of their body weight by feasting on sea urchins, crabs, clams, mussels and octopuses. Smith, and J.K.B. They commonly reside on the coast of California and other states in the northwest. Search Aquatic Species at Risk. Oceana Canada needs your support to protect the oceans and sea life. Download a printable version of this page, See more of our Animal of the Month features for kids, Subscribe to Can Geo Today >Digital Edition >Our FREE Newsletters >. Canada was missing its smallest marine animal until 1969, when 89 Alaskan sea otters were relocated to Checleset Bay, off northwest Vancouver Island. Part of sea otters’ high susceptibility to exposure is due to their diet. Research is focused on recovery and conservation and includes: regular surveys to estimate trends in population abundance and distribution, studies of population health and genetics, and threats to recovery. 2008 Sea otter range in British Columbia (shown in red). These studies help us to understand the process of population recovery and changes in nearshore ecosystems that occur with reoccupation by sea otters. Canadian Geographic is a magazine of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Scientific name: Enhydra lutris Average weight: 32 to 41 kg (male)18 to 27 kg (female)Average height: 1.4 mAverage lifespan: 15 to 20 years. Scientific name: Enhydra lutris Average weight: 32 to 41 kg (male) 18 to 27 kg (female) Average height: 1.4 m Average lifespan:15 to 20 years Are you sure it is a sea otter and not a river otter in the sea? Upon returning to the surface, they float on their backs, with the rock on the stomachs. Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Research Document 2009-016. iv+16p. Sea otters are famous for floating on their backs and using rocks to crack open shellfish on their chests. A thick layer of underfur covered by black, pale brown or silver guard hairs traps air for insulation. Eighty-nine sea otters were slowly reintroduced to B.C. An assessment of abundance and growth of the sea otter (Enhydra lutris) population in British Columbia. There are approximately 6,000 sea otters in British Columbia. Recent trends in the abundance and distribution of sea otters (, Nichol, L. M., J. C. Watson, G. E. Ellis, and J. K. B. Ford. They are able to live in a variety of different habitats, including rivers, lakes and large creeks. Currently there are less than 3,000 Sea Otters in California. As top predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, embayments and estuaries. Some species are already protected under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) while some are under consideration for addition to the Act.Please check back regularly for … Updated status of the sea otter, Enhydra lutris, Canada. There are 13 known species of Otters left in the world with at least one that was removed from the list due to extinction. Oceana Canada needs your support to protect the oceans and sea life. 's sea otter population ranges along much of the exposed west coast of Vancouver Island and parts of the central mainland B.C. Currently there are less than 3,000 Sea Otters in California, between 65,000 and 78,000 in Washington, Canada, and Alaska combined. As of June 2014, there are between 16,000 and 20,000 sea otters left in the wild. Sea otters dive to rocky reefs, where they collect invertebrates and also a large rock. Field-Nat. If you sight sea otters, particularly a raft of sea otters, and you think they may be beyond the occupied range please send us your sighting and help us monitor the recovery and range expansion of the sea otter population. But the fur trade, which began in the 1700s, almost wiped out all of them. 2009. Population are very low for such an important species. By 1929 the sea otter had been extirpated from British Columbia and small colonies persisted only in parts of Alaska and California. Their numbers slowly increased, and their endangered status was downgraded to threatened in 1996, then to special concern in 2007. Watson, J.C., G.M. Report a Sighting: Phone: 250-756-7253 Email: Linda.Nichol@dfo-mpo.gc.ca. As of 2008, E. lutris is considered endangered by the IUCN. The last sea otter in B.C. 22pp. Recent trends in the abundance and distribution of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in British Columbia, incorporating population survey results from 2007 and 2008. In many areas, there were none left to hunt, and Environment Canada estimates that there were less than 2,000 left by 1900. The river otter is protected and insulated by a thick, water-repellent coat of fur. Sea otters are vulnerable to large-scale population declines, with oil spills being the greatest anthropogenic threat. The Sea Otter has a small round face that is absolutely adorable. 1997. There are many numbers when it comes to California (or southern) sea otters. They have an interesting method of eating their prey. Older sea otters sometimes get silvery heads as their guard hairs change colour. Sea otter fur has about 1.6 to 2.6 million hairs per square cm, the thickest fur of any animal in the world. African Clawless Otter Unlike some marine mammals, sea otters rely on thick fur instead of blubber to keep warm in the icy waters of the Pacific Ocean. 2005. Sea otters occupy rugged and remote sections of B.C. They use the rock as a table against which they smash their shelled prey to g… Once upon a time, there were close to a million of the California sea otters and their range extended many miles. The Royal Canadian Geographical Society is dedicated to making Canada better known to Canadians, and the world. Today, B.C. Sea Otter The Northern Pacific Ocean is the primary location where you will find the Sea Otter. Re-introduction to British Columbia occurred between 1969 and 1972 with 89 sea otters released into Checleset Bay on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Nichol, L. M., M. D. Boogaards, and R. Abernethy. Nichol, L. M., J. C. Watson, G. E. Ellis, and J. K. B. Ford. River otters thrive outside of water too, and can sometimes be seen playing in snow or sliding down muddy hills. coast. J. By the 1900s, the sea otter was nearly extinct with only 1,000 to 2,000 otters left. While mothers and pups are usually solitary, sea otters can form social groups of up to a few dozen. 72(2): 382-388. 2009. Otters On The Kaw Kansas Riverkeeper Finds Evidence Of … In Canada, they can be found in every province and territory except Prince Edward Island, where they appear to be extirpated. In the 1960s and early 1970s, sea otters from Alaska were re-introduced into parts of their former range from Oregon to southeast Alaska. Ellis, T.G. We further acknowledge and recognize that our work reaches across all of the distinct First Nations, Métis Homelands and Inuit Nunangat, and for this we are grateful. Sea Otter Tail. ... Look for line 410 on Form 540. According to SFGate, they “frolicked from Alaska's Prince William Sound to Baja California.” $10 . Number of animals; is it a group (raft) or single scattered animals? between 1969 and 1972 and now there are around 2500 living off Vancouver Island and off the B.C. Fisheries and Oceans Canada. coast near Goose Island. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has been formally engaged in scientific studies and monitoring of the sea otter population since 2001 as a result of requirements under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). The Sea Otter has been assigned Endangered status by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (cosewic), and receives legal protec- tion as a marine mammal under the Canada Fisheries Act. The Northern Sea Otter is found in Washington, Canad a, and Alaska. Sea otters often convene in large groups called rafts. The Southern Sea Otter is found in California. As the population grows it is expected that its range will increase. Click here to learn more. Location of sighting, either coordinates of latitude and longitude, or relative to a geographic place name. When the sea otter began to disappear from many parts of the Pacific Northwest in the early 19th century, the fur trade continued with other animals, but … Sea otters are foragers that eat mostly hard-shelled invertebrates, including sea urchins and a variety of clams, mussels, and crabs. Where are sea otters found? When it has something to eat, an otter rolls onto its back in the water and places the food on its chest to savor bite by bite. The most gregarious by far are sea otters, which are polygynous (males mate with multiple females). For its size, the male otter's baculum is very large, massive and bent upwards, measuring 150 mm (5.9 in) in length and 15 mm (0.59 in) at the base. From Seattle To Vancouver See How Rialto The Otter Once Near. Because the mismatch gives them a clumsy walk on land, sea otters rarely stray too far from the sea. Today, B.C. With only 3,000 southern sea otters left in the wild today, every otter counts! The sea otter once ranged from central Baja California, Mexico to northern Japan, but was driven to the brink of extinction by the maritime fur trade that commenced in the 1700s and continued through the 1800s. Unfortunately, lately, those numbers are all very low. Manage. None were left off British Columbia’s coasts by 1929. Become a Wavemaker. 's sea otter population ranges along much of the exposed west coast of Vancouver Island and parts of the central mainland B.C. This research also helps inform management, address conflicts, and respond to emerging effects of human activities. There are 50.234 wolves left in Canada. Only about a dozen are found in Japan. In the early 1900s, the species was considered extirpated, meaning that none remained in Canada. In 1911, Sea Otters became protected, but it took until 1969 to 1972 for the species to be reintroduced. Thanks to the 1911 treaty and more recent endangered species legislation in the U.S. and Canada, sea otters were on a worldwide rebound by the time … Sign up today to get updates and alerts from Oceana Canada. The population increase in B.C. Re-introduction to British Columbia occurred between 1969 and 1972 with 89 sea otters released into Checleset Bay on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Research Document # 094. In Canada, sea otters are protected under the Species at Risk Act. How Many Sea Otters Are Left In The World 2020 7 Things You Probably Didn T Know About Sea Otters. Nichol, J.C. Watson, J.K.B. Females are smaller, weighing 14 to 33 kg (31 to 73 lb) and measuring 1.0 to 1.4 m (3 ft 3 in to 4 ft 7 in) in length. $500 . The sea otter is one of the smallest marine mammal species, but it is the heaviest mustelid. There are about 100,000 sea otters left, living along the Pacific coast from California to southern Alaska. Sea otters are listed as a species of special concern under SARA. The Royal Canadian Geographical Society family of sites: Canadian Geographic student geography challenge, Help designate an official bird for Canada, Grade 8 students exploring Parks Canada sites, Compare countries' statistics and explore our changing world, Innovative projects in the developing world, The revolution of mapping in the First World War, Canadian pilots heroically earn their wings, Canadian Geographic magazine in french: Géographica, Accessibility Standard for Customer Service Plan. Did you know? Sea otters have small front legs and stiff toes for handling food, while strong back legs with webbed feet allow for graceful paddling through the water. The RCGS is a registered charity. Ford. Wild. Sea otters first became protected from the fur trade by the International Fur Seal Treaty in 1911, after the population had decreased to about 2,000 as a result of unrestrained hunting for furs. How many sea otters are there? The only sea otters near Vancouver are the four living at the Vancouver Aquarium. Ellis. A good part of a sea otter’s day is spent cleaning itself, because matted or clogged fur doesn’t trap enough heat. coast has grown from 89 in the early 1970s to just over 8,000 today. Show Your Support With a Donation. Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. An adult North American river otter can weigh between 5.0 and 14 kg (11.0 and 30.9 lb). The Russian Sea Otter is found off the eastern coast of Russia and several have been reported in Japan. Rafts can range in size from a handful of sea otters to well over 100 animals. 's coast. Estimating carrying capacity for sea otters in British Columbia. Canadian Geographic is a magazine of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Male sea otters usually weigh 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb) and are 1.2 to 1.5 m (3 ft 11 in to 4 ft 11 in) in length, though specimens up to 54 kg (119 lb) have been recorded. Sea Otter Animal Encounter Experience Georgia Aquarium. Many are mostly solitary apart from the breeding season, whereas others live in groups all year round. $25 . was shot near Kyuquot on the west coast of Vancouver Island in 1929. has slowed in recent years because some parts of the population appear to be at equilibrium. The RCGS acknowledges that its offices are located on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Peoples, who have been guardians of, and in relationship with, these lands for thousands of years. Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Ford and G.M. The sea otters at the Aquarium are famous for being cute and fluffy, but there’s more to them than being adorable. 2008. Along with its long, stiff whiskers it’s no wonder the otter has earned the nickname “Old Man of the Sea.”. See the attached PDF. Nichol, L. M., M. D. Boogaards, and R. Abernethy. By 1830 they had vanished from many areas, Norm Sloan, a Parks Canada marine ecologist and co-author of Sea Otters of Haida Gwaii, told the conference. The population in Russia is approximately 15,000. ... Canada's only dedicated marine mammal rescue facility. 2005. $75 . Their population on the B.C. The following table is a non-exhaustive list of aquatic species at risk found in Canadian waters. Sea otters are hungry animals. 111(2): 277-286. Only 13 remnant sea otter colonies existed from Russia to Mexico when the International Fur Seal Treaty, which banned the hunting of sea otters and fur seals, was established in 1911. While sea otters do well in captivity, they are struggling in the wild. Weigh between 5.0 and 14 kg ( 11.0 and 30.9 lb ) protected under the species was extirpated. Meaning their role in their environment has a small round face that absolutely! 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