Sea Otters
Why Are They Endangered?
The Europeans didn't know about the Sea Otter until 1741. They found the Sea Otter when some men were down on the beach and the Sea Otters were in a bed of kelp.
The sailors started killing them for food, clothing and fur blankets. They started to explore the Pacific Ocean for Sea Otters because Sea Otter fur got very popular in China.
Spanish settlers traded otter pelts to the Europeans for things that they needed. The Sea Otters off of the California Coast soon became endangered.
The U.S.A., Russia, Japan, and Great Britain decided in 1911 that they would no longer hunt seals or Sea Otters. By that time, everybody thought the Sea Otter was extinct, but, there were a few hidden in the Bays and coves of the Aleutian Islands.
Facts About The Sea Otter:
Where they live: The Sea Otter lives in the Pacific Ocean. They dwell near the Western shores and the United States. Sea Otters seldom leave the water.
Activities: Sea Otters mostly swim on their back. They also eat and sleep on their back by floating. To keep warm and comfortable they sleep on their back in a bunch of kelp.
Food: Sea Otters eat a fifth of their own body weight. They eat octopus, fish, jelly fish, clams, crabs, sea urchins, mussels, abalones and squid. To break open their food they either use rocks or bang them against each other. Sea Otters dive 180 feet for their food and can stay under water for 4 minutes to catch their food.
Facts: Sea Otters grow to be 4-5 feet long. The females only have one baby at a time. Their fur is what keeps them warm from the cold and the water.
By: Hayley James & Shanna Watson
We got our information from:
Book: "A New True Book" OTTERS Author: Emilie U. Lepthien Book:" World Book Encyclopedia S 1989 edition."