It’s Sea Otter Awareness Week, and in Morro Bay, the marine mammal’s population is higher than ever. But with increased numbers comes more interactions with people.
There are around 3,000 sea otters from Half Moon Bay down to Santa Barbara, according to the sea otter outreach nonprofit, Sea Otter Savvy.
Data shows 70 of those adult sea otters call Morro Bay home.
“That is the highest count we have ever had in Morro Bay, and so that number is definitely increasing,” said Gena Bentall, Sea Otter Savvy Director.
Sea otters are now listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act after being nearly wiped out by fur hunting in the 1800s. Sea Otter Savvy Director Gena Bentall says human disturbance is happening daily.
“The average number of times a day that a sea otter is disturbed throughout our study areas on the Central Coast is six,” Bentall said.
“We stay further away. We don’t get up close to otters. They are so friendly, but they are wild creatures, so we give them a lot of space,” said Rick Davis, Bay Area resident.
Bentall says kayakers account for 85% of sea otter disturbances in the last 10 years of the nonprofit’s data collection.
“So let’s think about a sea otter having to swim away repeatedly from a kayaker — that can impact their long-term survival and health,” Bentall said.
Sea Otter Savvy works with local businesses like the Kayak Shack in Morro Bay on outreach.
“These are our stickers that we put on all the kayaks just to make sure people know that you have to keep at least 100 feet away from the otters,” said Michaela Henderson, Kayak Shack employee.
The Kayak Shack not only informs people before they head out on the water, but also has dozens of signs posted around the business.
“We want to give an overwhelming amount of information about the otters. It’s really their home, and we want to keep them safe,” Henderson said.
But despite constant outreach and education, Bentall says it’s becoming an increasing problem.
“During the pandemic, we did see an increase in people bringing their own craft. They didn’t want to go through the shops, or some shops weren’t open, so they bought their own kayaks, and we continue to see an increasing level of disturbance caused by personal kayakers, and they are the hardest for us to reach,” Bentall said.
Bentall says recognizing that our behavior can have an impact on sea otters is vital. One tip Bentall shares is that if a sea otter is looking at you, you are too close.
“The act of an animal looking at you, you don’t have to be an animal behaviorist to recognize that. Five kayak lengths of distance between you and any sea otter, especially a resting sea otter,” Bentall said.
For more information on Sea Otter Awareness Week events, click here.
