Once hunted to extinction in Washington and Oregon, sea otters from Alaska were used to reestablish populations in the 1970s. There is a small, slowly recovering population here today, but they now face new man-made threats. The possibility of an oil spill in their habitat is a major, growing concern due to increased shipping traffic in the region. To prevent this species from arriving at the brink of extinction again, SR3 is preparing to help them in the event of an oil spill.
Sea otters are particularly vulnerable to the effects of an oil spill for several reasons. In the Pacific Northwest, the population of sea otters tend to cluster into large groups. Not only that, but the primary habitat where they gather is located near busy shipping lanes. An oil spill in their area would likely compromise a large portion, if not almost the entire population. Their fur, which they rely on to survive in our cold waters, is also the densest in the animal kingdom and would become matted with oil, quickly leading to hypothermia.
Knowing these risks and challenges, SR3 consulted with partners to figure out how to best prepare for sea otter rehabilitation and rescue, whether from oil spills or other entanglements, illnesses, or injuries. Partnering with the Washington Department of Fish Wildlife, we started creating an emergency response plan to ensure swift and effective action should the worst happen.
A response effort of this kind will also require specialized equipment which is not available for sale or made by any manufacturer. Instead we turned to our network of skilled volunteers, putting out a call for people who could help build a unique cart to effectively and safely transport sea otters.
Kim and Bryan, two SR3 volunteers with some excellent carpentry skills, responded to our call for help building a custom transport cart for sea otters.
Kim and Bryan, two SR3 volunteers with a passion for helping marine wildlife and some excellent carpentry skills, responded to our call. Working only off of a picture and some notes from other out-of-state marine wildlife centers, the pair took on the task.
Mishka, resident sea otter at the Seattle Aquarium, was eager to help test out Kim and Bryan’s prototype. Photo credit: Seattle Aquarium
Once a prototype was complete, SR3 partnered with the Seattle Aquarium to have their resident sea otters put it to the test. The otters brought their curiosity to the table, exploring the cart and giving us ample opportunity to verify if the dimensions and features of the cart would work well. The test was a success!
To ensure we are prepared to help as many otters as possible in the event of a crisis, we now had to build several additional carts. What better way to do that than a party?! More of our skilled volunteers generously gathered for what will be the first of several afternoon work parties and completed another four carts.
Thanks to the dedication of these volunteers, and generous grantors like the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Sea Otter Foundation and Trust, sea otters in the Pacific Northwest are now one step closer to life-saving care!
If you want to get involved with helping marine wildlife like Kim and Bryan, you can sign up as a volunteer here.