Sea Otter

*** Management plan for Sea Otters in British Columbia (2014)

SARA Public Registry information on the species.

***Species information by the Hakai Institute “Central Coast Biodiversity” http://www.centralcoastbiodiversity.org/sea-otter-bull-enhydra-lutris.html

BC Conservation Data Centre: Conservation Status Report


Information for British Columbia’s population

http://www.marinemammal.org/biology/sea-otter-biology/- North Pacific University's Marine Mammal Research Consortium's fast facts

You Otter Know! My blog on the differences between Sea Otters and River Otters - https://themarinedetective.com/2011/07/17/you-otter-know/

http://www.oceanlink.island.net/workexpaug2004/otters%20and%20oil.html - sea otters and oil 


Plan for the Enbridge’s “Northern Gateway Project” - a dual pipeline to run between Alberta to Kitimat which would open up BC’s coast to the transport of oil.

  1. •    See map of proposed pipeline

  2. •    See Living Ocean’s webpage re. concerns

  3. •    Article: “Opposition to pipeline urged”


2012 report on the role sea otters have in maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem - includes reducing carbon dioxide levels. “Sea otters help combat global warming”.


http://www.vanaqua.org/education/aquafacts/seaotters.html - Vancouver Aquarium fast facts

June 2010 article on sea otter research, includes recent population estimate

Video of sea otters holding hands at Vancouver Aquarium. Note that Nayak has since passed away.

Live sea otter camera at the Vancouver Aquarium.

Vancouver Aquarium’s Aquafacts about sea otters.

Article on sea otters by Annie Prud’homme Genereux from NatureWILD

http://www.killerwhale.ca/animals-otter.html - information from Environment Canada 2004

http://www.bio.davidson.edu/Courses/anphys/2000/Boehm/Metabolism.html - Sea otter metabolism - note how much they eat per day and why they need to be able to feed often. 

http://www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca/search/speciesDetails_e.cfm?SpeciesID=149 - Summary from COSEWIC on sea otters in Canada

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/species/species_seaOtter_e.asp  - DFO pages on threats and natural history.  Good summary. 

Lots of information from the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre on Sea Otters.  Explore the links and don't miss the interactive fun pages and the movie clips!

http://www.pacificwildlife.ca/seaotter.htm - Pacific Wildlife Foundation's facts.  Be sure you click all the tabs e.g. "distribution."

http://www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca/search/speciesDetails_e.cfm?SpeciesID=149 - threats to the sea otter

http://web.mala.bc.ca/sc403/Sea_Mammals/page13so.htm - Malaspina University College's fact sheet

http://www.defenders.org/wildlife/new/marine/otters/images/dowil_sea-otter_even-more-final.html - Animation about the threats to sea otters Not a Canadian page

http://www.seaotters.org/Otters/ - American organization "Friends of the Sea Otter" good information about threats, behaviour and it even has vocal samples

  http://www.seaotters.org/Otters/index.cfm?DocID=63.  Careful with the information about range and population size as this if for otters in America, not in British Columbia. This site has really good information about why oil spills are so bad for sea otters. 

http://nlbif.eti.uva.nl/bis/marine_mammals.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=32 - lots of detail about identification some information about  behaviour and threats. An international webpage. 

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Enhydra_lutris.html  Not a Canadian page

http://www.seaotterresearch.org/ - click "sea otters" at the bottom left of the page.  Good information on "daily life" and "mating and pups" but, because the population and range information is for California, not British Columbia.   Not a Canadian page

http://www.defenders.org/wildlife/new/marine/otters/canada/ - good information on the history of sea otters in British Columbia up to 2003

  http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/learning/education/mammalinfo/seaotter.asp - This is an American website so be careful when using it for population estimates in BC and COSEWIC status in your report

http://www.junglewalk.com/frames.asp - type in "sea otter" in the search bar and you will get - many site listings, lots of video footage, even sounds!  Not a Canadian page


www.oceanlink.island.net - Bamfield Research Station’s detailed marine biology page search for your species

http://oceanlink.island.net/seaotterstewardship/biology2.html - conservation webpage from Vancouver Island's west coast.

http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/intermediate.asp?curGroupID=5 - Click "marine mammals" and do a search for your animal. Excellent on-line field guides Not a Canadian page

  www.racerocks.com/racerock/marmam/mammals.htm and http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/archivemammals.htm - involvement of Lester B. Pearson School in a fantastic marine mammal project.  Search the site at http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/web/sitemap.htm 

http://netvet.wustl.edu/marine.htm  - net vet marine mammals; search links for information that may be relevant to your species Not a Canadian page

www.oceanlink.island.net - Bamfield Research Station’s detailed marine biology page

http://www.vanaqua.org/education/aquafacts/ - Vancouver Aquarium’s web data base of frequently asked questions about marine ecosystems; click "Sea Otters"