The sea otter is one of the smallest marine mammals in North America although they do occur in three Asian regions. 

1. The Northern Japanese archipelago
2. The Kamchatka peninsula
3. Commander islands

The Sea otter is the only true marine otter of all the otter and they can dive up to 40metres to catch their prey.  When they reach the surface they lie of their backs using their tummy as a table and a tool such as a stone to help open their prey.  They eat a variety of food including clams, crabs, abalone, and starfish and up to 40 other marine animals. 

They live in relatively cold waters of 30-50F but do not even have blubber to keep them warm.  Like all otters they rely on their fur, which is the thickest of all otters with 400,000 hairs per square cm.

 Observations have shown that the foraging of the sea otter is greatest in early morning and late evening; they usually stay close to the shore in large groups but can be found up to 5km out at sea.  They rest in the kelp beds in “rafts” and wrap the seaweed around them to stop them floating away.

 Breeding takes place throughout the year but peaks in birth in May and June have been recognised.

Conservation: Endangered 

 Size: 1.6 metres

 Weight: 45kg

 Gestation: Ranges from 4-12 months (they have various degrees of delayed implantation)

 Litter size: single cub

 Diet: Abalone, clams, crabs starfish and 40 other marine animals

 Threats: Oil pollution, fishing nets, illegal hunting by the beginning of the last centaury the sea otter was nearly extinct.

Endangered status: Endangered

 Distribution and population:

 Russia: 18,000 – 20,000

Alaska: 100,000 – 150,000

Southern: 2,400

Distribution of the Sea Otter (Ehydra lutris)

Data based on Otters and Action Plan for their conservation (IUCN 1990) and world otters (IOSF 2005)