There’s a new Santa Cruz, CA website dedicated to Otter-ly
information. Check out seaotters.com based in Santa Cruz, CA. To
get off the Endangered Species List, sea otters must grow from
2,700 to 3,090. Their numbers have stayed steady instead of
growing in recent years. Scientists wonder why. Various
pollutants may contribute. “Southern sea otters have been listed
as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act
since 1977. While California sea otters have made a substantial
recovery, decades of protection haven’t helped their population
bounce back as dramatically as hoped. Annual surveys currently
peg the California sea otter population at about 2,700
individuals, short of the minimum of 3,090 for 3 years running
needed for delisting from the Endangered Species Act. Their
numbers have hovered at 2,800 otters in recent years, and the
current estimate represents a population dip instead of growth.
“What is behind this population plateau? Scientists have pinned
the cause on too many deaths of