Biosphere Wonders: Sea Otters!

Sea otters are adorable lil' mammals that live off of the Pacific coast of the North America, namely the USA. Special talents and clever habits are practically rolling off of these sea mammals' thick fur.

Fun Fact: Sea otters don't have blubber to
keep warm, and so they rely on their fur. They're
considered the hairiest animals in the world,
with nearly one million hairs per square inch!

Along with a few animals like apes, humans, dolphins, and certain birds, sea otters use tools in the wild. An otter will dive down to the sea floor to collect a shellfish and a rock. Bringing both items up to the surface, the otter then goes into its iconic position floating on its back. Placing the rock on its belly, the otter bangs the unwilling shellfish against the rock until the shellfish's muscles relax and allow the shell to open. An open shell is a well-fed otter.

When night falls, these sea otters need to sleep—but they don't make the journey to the shore to do so. In fact, sea otters are born and raised often without ever stepping foot on land. So before they fall asleep, they wrap themselves in kelp to make a secure anchor. That way they can drift safely into sleep instead of out into the open ocean.

Unfortunately, do to the ruthless fur-trade in the 1800 and 1900s, the sea otters' numbers dropped from roughly a million to only 1,500 in the early 1900s. Now, due to conservation efforts, the otters have come up to between 64,000 and 74,000. They are still considered endangered, and we need to keep up the efforts to preserve these amazing critters.