Friends of the Sea OtterEducation Materials- Elementary School

P.O. Box 223260Carmel, CA 93922info@seaotters.orgwww.seaotters .org

WHAT IS A SEA OTTER?A sea otter is a marine mammal that lives in the coastal

waters of the northern Pacific Ocean. It is the smallestmarine mammal in North America

and is about 4 feet long.Female otters weigh an

average of 45 pounds,and male ottersweigh an average

of 65 pounds. Seaotters live anaverage of 12years.

HOW DO SEA OTTERS STAY WARM?The water that sea otters live in is chilly, rangingfrom 35 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit—much too coldfor humans. Otters don’t have blubber to keep themwarm like other marine mammals. Instead, theyrely on their thick fur coat to maintain a constantbody temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sea otter fur is the thickest of any animal. Sea otter furhas 600,000 to 1 million hairs per square inch—humanshave an average of 100,000 hairs on their whole head! Itis important for otters to keep individual hairs clean. If thefur isn’t clean, it gets matted and otters can die fromhypothermia (getting too cold).

WHAT DO SEA OTTERS LOOK LIKE?Sea otters look like a little bear, but with a large head and blunt snout thatis connected to the body by a short, stocky neck. Their snout has a set oflong, thick whiskers (or vibrissae) on either side. The front arms are shortand similar to those of other otters, with a loose flap of skin under each thatserves as a pocket used to store food. Sea otter paws are quite dexterousand sensitive to touch that enable them to grab and sense the prey itemsthey handle. Sea otters have a continuous pad that covers the whole bottompart of the paw, unlike that of dogs’ that are separated and not fused. Thehindlimbs are large and flattened like flippers; they are oriented backwards.Although the short tail is not noticeably tapered, it is flattened top to bottominto a paddle-like structure, which aids in swimming and steering.

HOW DO SEA OTTERS SWIM?Sea otters usually swim on their backs on the water’s surface. Theyuse their rear flippers to move and their tails to steer. They swimslowly at speeds of about 2-3 miles per hour—the speedof an average humanswimmer. If ottersare frightened theywill flip over ontheir stomachsand swim away.Sometimes theywill dive underwater to getaway.

WHAT DO SEA OTTERS EAT?Sea otters eat clams, crabs, snails, sea stars, abalone, and about 40 other

marine animals. Sea otters dive up to 330 feet to findtheir food. Their average dive lastsabout a minute and thelongest dive recordedlasted 5 minutes.

When sea otterscome to the surface,

they lie on their backs and usetheir stomachs as a table.Sometimes theyuse a tool, suchas a rock, tohelp them openthe hard shellsof their prey.They bang thehard shell on therock until it breaksopen.

Sea otters must eat 25% of their body weight each day inorder to stay alive. That means a forty-pound sea otter must eat 10 poundsof food each day!

WHERE DO SEA OTTERS LIVE?Sea otters are found in shallow, nearshore waters of the North Pacific coast,from the southern Kurile Islands, north along the Aleutian Islands, andsouth to southern California.

Originally, their distribution was nearly continuous from Hokkaido, Japan,to central Baja California, Mexico. However, there are now 4 separate seaotter groups: Asia; Russia; Alaska; and California. In addition, there havebeen several reintroduction attempts (some successful, others not) alongthe west coast of North America (British Columbia and Washington State,and a small colony off San Nicolas Island, Santa Barbara).

The southern sea otters arefound in the Pacific Oceanoff the coast of CentralCalifornia. They range fromHalfmoon Bay in the northto just beyond PointConception in the south.

WHAT IS THE CURRENT POPULATION?Two hundred years ago, 300,000 or more otters may haveranged along 6,000 miles of Pacific coastline from northernJapan, through the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, and down thecoast of California to Baja Mexico.

Historically there were between 16,000 to 20,000 sea ottersalong the coast of California, but the fur trade of the 18th and19th centuries nearly led them to extinction. The southern seaotter was thought to be extinct. Then, in 1938, a raft of 30 to50 otters was discovered off the coast of Big Sur at BixbyCreek bridge. It was a moment for rejoicing!

Sea otters are now found along 200 miles of Californiacoastline, but their population is still small – only about 2,200.Southern sea otters are now protected by the EndangeredSpecies Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) sothey cannot be hunted.

WHY AREN’T THERE MORE SEA OTTERS?Biologists had expected the otters to continue to re-colonize near thesouthern end of their historic range, into the Santa BarbaraChannel, but this hasn’t happened. Biologists are not sure why,but they suspect there are other threats to otters.

Oil spills can be fatal to the sea otter and could cause thisspecies to become extinct. Oil coats the fur, destroying theblanket of air that keeps the animal warm—and causing chillingand death from hypothermia.

Increased pollution, habitat loss, and predation by killer whalesand sharks in our oceans are also threats to sea otters. Fishing

nets are another cause of sea otter deaths. Seaotters become caught in the nets and drown.

Laws have been passed to limit the use offishing nets along the coastline. This has

helped the sea otter population a great deal.

The continuing success of the southern seaotter depends on interested individuals likeyou and organizations such as Friends ofthe Sea Otter.

SEA OTTER

RAFT

Usually sea otters stay close to shore but sometimes they are found as faras 4 miles out from shore. Otters rest in kelp forests and often they willdrape the kelp over their bodies to keep from drifting away. Sea otters canbe seen singly or in groups called rafts. Rafts in California tend to be small,containing 2 to 12 animals, although larger rafts may include 40 to 50 otters,but those in Alaska can contain up to 2,000 otters!

OTTER WATCHING GUIDELINES

1. When on the water, look carefully for otters—they may be wrapped up in kelp or under the water feeding. Be aware of where they are at all times.

2. Approach otters slowly, calmly and quietly. Stay back at least 50 feet.

3. Never try to touch, pet or feed a sea otter.

4. Do not try to get an otter’s attention by banging, splashing or making other noises—you may scare it.

5. Otters are usually resting, grooming, feeding, traveling or interacting with each other. When you first see them, note their behavior and make sure your actions do not cause a change in this behavior.

6. If an otter looks at you, rolls in the water with its head and feet out (logrolling), periscopes (head and shoulders out), swims away from you on its back or front, or dives when you approach, you are probably disturbing it and you should back off.

7. If you want to see or photograph otters close up, consider using binoculars and cameras with zoom lenses, or visit them in an aquarium.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP SEAWHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP SEAWHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP SEAWHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP SEAWHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP SEAOTTERS AND MARINE LIFE?OTTERS AND MARINE LIFE?OTTERS AND MARINE LIFE?OTTERS AND MARINE LIFE?OTTERS AND MARINE LIFE?Here a few ways that you and your familyHere a few ways that you and your familyHere a few ways that you and your familyHere a few ways that you and your familyHere a few ways that you and your familycan make a difference:can make a difference:can make a difference:can make a difference:can make a difference:

Do not pollute storm drain.

Do not flush kitty litter down toilets.

Be careful what you put down your drains at home.

Help keep our beaches clean - every little bit of trash collected helps!

Buy environmentally friendly products - use paper bags, not plastic.

Use public transportation, carpool, walk or ride your bike.

Do the 4 “R’s” = RRRRRefill, RRRRReduce, RRRRReuse & RRRRRecycle.

Can you think of some others?Can you think of some others?Can you think of some others?Can you think of some others?Can you think of some others?

If so, write to us at:

Friends of the Sea OtterFriends of the Sea OtterFriends of the Sea OtterFriends of the Sea OtterFriends of the Sea Otter

P.O. Box 223260Carmel, CA 93922

or email us at

infoinfo@seaotters.org

THE SOUTHERN SEA OTTER

MEALTIMESSea Otters Eat Throughout The Night & Day

Sea otters are the only marine mammals that move on the water’s surface on their backs.

Sea otters must eat about 25% of their body weight each dayto stay warm. Their diet consists of more than 40 differentmarine invertebrates (animals without backbones).

clam

crab

Ears – externallike a sea lion.

Front paws –have retractingclaws like a cat.

Tail – flattened forpropulsion & steering.

Size:

Length – about 4 feet

Weight – about 40-65 pounds

Back feet – flattenedand flipper-like.

turban snail

mussel

abalone

Fur – 600,000 to 1 million hairs persquare inch. (Humans have 100,000 hairson their whole head.)

sea urchin

Teeth – canines for rippingand molars for crushing.

Lifespan:Males – 10 to 15 years

Females – 15 to 20 years

Eyesight – goodboth above andbelow water. Nose – has a keen

sense of smell.

See if you can help ourotter friend grab a few

morsels for a picnic.Adult otters are voracious eaters,

consuming more than 25% of their bodyweight per day to just keep warm.They search for food close to shore in

the kelp beds, sloughs, and harbors.An otter can hold its breath for

up to 5 minutes and dive todepths of 330 feet or more.However, usually theyprefer diving in shallowwater (30 to 40 feet) forabout 1 minute.

OTTERLY

A-MAZE-ING!!!

Sea creatures need to eat,but some of these foodsdon’t belong!

Frying panTurkeyGrape clusterOranges

Sliced bagelEar of CornBanana

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flage

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ou

flage

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flage

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flage

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flage

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Education MaterialsFriends of the Sea Otter

www.seaotters.org

Courtesy of Downtown Productions

Find the hidden human food and utensils:Hot dog & bunFork & spoonIce cream coneLadle

See if you can find and circle the words listed. They are hiddenin the puzzle vertically, horizontally, and diagonally — some areeven spelled backwards.

Friends of the Sea Otter • P.O. Box 223260, Carmel, CA 93922

Why Are Sea Ottersa Threatened Species?

C F L O N O I T A L U P O P T

O V U L N E R A B L E U Z E H

A X B A J A U T H N A S E N E

S U R V I V E E C R G O A V N

T W I L D L N L L A T F I I E

B M S E N B D L A B I F S R D

B A K S A L A I S M E R S O E

A X L A E E N L S Q M H U N N

M C T F C S G O I A M A R M E

M R U I O G E S F S P R M E T

E R E L A W R U I E A X I N A

L O A T O C E A E L G N M T E

I J A H A R D F D L A N P S R

D L O C S W Y R O F O A A R H

S E I C E P S N A P A J E R T

D I S T R E S S E N T P O P T

Word Search

MAMMAL

MMPA

OCEAN

POPULATION

RANGE

RISK

RUSSIA

SPECIES

SURVIVE

THREATENED

VULNERABLE

WATER

ALASKA

AIR

BAJA

CLASSIFIED

COAST

DILEMMA

DISTRESS

ENDANGERED

ENVIRONMENT

ESA

HARM

JAPAN

LAW

Artwork courtesy ofArtwork courtesy ofArtwork courtesy ofArtwork courtesy ofArtwork courtesy of

Downtown ProductionsDowntown ProductionsDowntown ProductionsDowntown ProductionsDowntown Productions

Materials:• Scissors• Crayons• Hole Punch• Elastic Cord or String

You Can Be a Sea Otter Too

Artwork courtesy ofArtwork courtesy ofArtwork courtesy ofArtwork courtesy ofArtwork courtesy ofDowntown ProductionsDowntown ProductionsDowntown ProductionsDowntown ProductionsDowntown Productions

Congratulations! Nowyou are a sea otter.

How to make this otterm a s k :

1 . Color with crayons beforecutting it out. Sea otters aregenerally light brown.

2 . Cut out the face and the eyes.3 . Punch out one hole below

each ear.4 . Measure a piece of elastic

cord or string to fit aroundyour head. Tie each end ofthe string through one theholes.

PUBLISHED BY

FRIENDS OF THE SEA OTTER