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Sea Otters
A marine mammal that is native to the coast of both the northern and eastern Pacific Ocean, the sea otter is an adorable creature that makes a beautiful addition to the already interesting and intriguing life that lives amongst the sea. The sea otter generally weighing between 25 to 110 pounds, is the heaviest of its traditional land family, the weasel, but is just a little addition within the giant creatures that live within the sea. Unlike most sea mammals, the otter is completely reliant on its fur, as it does not genetically have any blubber to internalize heat during the cold days of the season. Perhaps one of the most interesting physical traits about the sea otter is the coat itself. As it has 150,000 strands of hair per square centimeter, the fur acts as a waterproof and furthermore weatherproof guard. The coat is compartmentalized, as there are two layers, the guard layer which consists of long waterproof hairs, and under that thick coat lies the inner layer which is the dense warm fur that remains dry even when completely submerging within the water. Being a marine mammal, it is of little to no surprise that the sea otters have quite a delectable and expensive taste. Generally praying on sea urchins, molluscs, and crustaceans, the sea otter is a skilled and innovative hunter. Using rocks to dislodge and open shells is a normal daily task for the sea otter.
At one point within history, there were an estimated 140,000-290,000 sea otters that lived peaceful lives within the marine world. However, these cute and intellectual creatures had faced a grim and inhumane past with human relations. During the early stages of the American colonization period all the way to the beginning of the 20th century, sea otters were frequently hunted for their fur. Seeing that their fur held extremely well sale value over the years, the population of these marine mammals fell well beyond 5,000. As their fur was popular amongst a multitude of countries and markets around the world, their fur would be used for rugs and jackets that would easily go for thousands of dollars and sometimes much more. Finally after over 150 years of being poached, there was an international ban on hunting in an attempt to conserve what small population was left. It would require reintroduction programs and extensive care. Fortunately for the sea otters, the programs and efforts of many individuals to conserve these cute creatures was relatively successful. However, more recently, many sea otters were killed due to the recent oil spills, and there are still malicious acts of poaching that still go on in many areas.
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