Old Man of the Sea-Sea Otter

Old Man of the Sea-Sea Otter

1. The Sea Otter is a marine mammal that has 3 subspecies: Southern Sea Otter, Northern Sea Otter, and Russian Sea Otter. The Southern Sea Otter is found in California. The Northern Sea Otter is found in Washington, Canada, and Alaska. The Russian Sea Otter is found off the eastern coast of Russia and several have been reported in Japan.

2. Sea Otters live in coastal waters & estuaries. They use their flat, webbed hind feet to swim and have been known to swim up to 5mph. When diving, their nostrils and ears close and their whiskers, or vibrissae, help them to feel their way around. They use their paws to locate prey.

3. Unlike most marine mammals, Sea Otters do not have blubber to protect them from the cold ocean water, but instead have the thickest coat of any animal in the animal kingdom and rely on that fur to keep them warm and from suffering from hypothermia. 

4. Sea Otter fur is comprised of two layers, the long outer guard hairs, providing a protective covering and the dense and fine underfur. You may have seen their somersaulting behavior, which is a means to trap air bubbles in their fur, adding the extra insulation they need.

5. Sea otters forage for food using their dexterous front paws and highly sensitive noses. The vibrissae, or whiskers, in their nose act as fingers; they can move individually and feel out where their prey is. Prey can include a myriad of different foods, including sea snails, mussels, crabs, clams, abalone, sea urchins, & many other animals. The sea otter’s teeth are ideal for crushing and grinding, but for prey that are more difficult to crack open, sea otters have been observed to use rocks as tools. 

6. After preparation, Sea Otters eat their food on the surface of the water.

7. Sea otter fur has about 1.6 to 2.6 million hairs per square cm, the thickest fur of any animal in the world.

8. Sea otters have small front legs and stiff toes for handling food, while strong back legs with webbed feet allow for graceful paddling through the water. Because the mismatch gives them a clumsy walk on land, sea otters rarely stray too far from the sea.

9. Unlike some marine mammals, sea otters rely on thick fur instead of blubber to keep warm in the icy waters of the Pacific Ocean. A thick layer of underfur covered by black, pale brown or silver guard hairs traps air for insulation.

10. Older sea otters sometimes get silvery heads as their guard hairs change colour. Along with its long, stiff whiskers it’s no wonder the otter has earned the nickname "Old Man of the Sea."

11. Sea otters are hungry animals. In a normal day they’ll eat one quarter of their body weight by feasting on sea urchins, crabs, clams, mussels and octopuses. To get food, a sea otter may hammer open shellfish with small rocks or dive over 100 metres into the murky ocean depths. When it has something to eat, an otter rolls onto its back in the water and places the food on its chest to savor bite by bite.

12. A good part of a sea otter’s day is spent cleaning itself, because matted or clogged fur doesn’t trap enough heat. Some scientists worry that a big oil spill could wipe out all of Canada’s sea otters because the oil would get stuck in their fur and cause them to freeze to death.

13. Sea otters have a small round head, closeable nostril, ears with flaps and small eyes that are good for seeing in and out of the water. The nostrils and the ears close while underwater so that no water gets into them.

14. Sea otters mostly eat sea urchins, mussels, abalone, clams, scallops, crabs, sea snails, chitons, octopus and squid. Sea otters use rocks as tools to break open the hard-shelled prey.

15. Both male and female otters attain sexual maturity in their second or third year. Most don’t successfully reproduce until they are five or seven years old. At first a male approaches a female.If she doesn’t want a mate, she will hiss or slap the water with her tail and dive. But if she wants a mate she will start to groom and play with him. The mating act only takes a few minutes.

16. Some people think they look like floating teddy bears. They have cute round ears and webbed feet and a furry round face.

17. Mother sea otters wrap the pups in seaweed so they don’t drown. Sea otters stay in groups of 30. The groups of 30 are called rafts. The whiskers that they have help them see in the dark parts of the ocean. Mostly when there hunting for food.

18. The thick brown fur has two layers. The long guard hairs are very dense. Only the tips get wet. The short under fur is protected from the water. Air trapped between the layers keeps the otter warm.

19. The nose, ears, lips and bottoms of the paws are not covered with fur. The otter floats on its back and keeps these parts out of the water.

20. The otter has the ability to use tools. It floats on its back, props a stone on its chest, and bangs the shellfish against the stone until it splits open.

21. Pups are born year round, usually one at a time. Pups are born on shore then taken to the water. They are born with teeth and with their eyes open. Mothers hold the pups on their chests as they cannot swim. Pups are weaned at 2 months.

22. Skin: very loose, so that it can stretch to several feet more than animal's real length. 

23. Otter fur became the royal fur of China. Chinese mandarins wore otter-skin robes. 

24. Rich society ladies wore otter capes, belts or sashes of fur.

25. Tails were made into caps, mittens and small trimmings. 

26. When prices rose, furs were used to weigh down and border silk gowns. 

27. By 1790 - one sea otter fur sold in China for $80-120 

28. 1822-1835 - American merchant ships traded with Mexicans living in the mission and the presidio axes, powder, wine, cloth, and rice for otter pelts.