Saturday, September 1, 2012

Sea Otter

Sea Otter
The sea otter is a marine mammal in the weasel family. They are also on the endangered species list. At one time there was an estimated population of 200,000 to 300,000 sea otters living along the Pacific coast of North America. In the 1700's through to the early 1900's they were extensively hunted for their fur and by 1911 there was only about 1000 to 2000 left in the world. Thankfully conservation efforts, as well as an international ban on hunting has allowed the sea otter populations to rebound but loss of habitat and competition with humans for food are still a concern for those who wish to preserve this wonderful species.


6 comments:

Unknown said...

My husband and I saw sea otters when we were honeymooning in Alaska, one of the most memorable moments of our trip and of our life!

Lighthousegal said...

Wonderful photo. The sea otter looks to be a lovely creature. You have a great blog with wonderful posts and great photos. I enjoyed visiting!
Happy Sunday!

Adam Jones said...

What a cracking shot. A lovely animal to see.

Roan said...

Love this shot! I wasn't aware they were in the weasel family. Good info.
Rubbish by Roan

Pat said...

Great shot! Otters are so cute!

Nancy said...

Such a cute face -- thank you for sharing at YSB this week. xo