Sea Otter Research Program

The sea otter once ranged from central Baja California, Mexico to northern Japan, but was driven to the brink of extinction by the maritime fur trade that commenced in the 1700s and continued through the 1800s. By 1929 the sea otter had been extirpated from British Columbia and small colonies persisted only in parts of Alaska and California. In the 1960s and early 1970s, sea otters from Alaska were re-introduced into parts of their former range from Oregon to southeast Alaska. Re-introduction to British Columbia occurred between 1969 and 1972 with 89 sea otters released into Checleset Bay on the west coast of Vancouver Island.  

Today, B.C.’s sea otter population ranges along much of the exposed west coast of Vancouver Island and parts of the central mainland B.C. coast. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has been formally engaged in scientific studies and monitoring of the sea otter population since 2001 as a result of requirements under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Sea otters are listed as a species of special concern under SARA. Research is focused on recovery and conservation and includes: regular surveys to estimate trends in population abundance and distribution, studies of population health and genetics, and threats to recovery. These studies help us to understand the process of population recovery and changes in nearshore ecosystems that occur with reoccupation by sea otters. This research also helps inform management, address conflicts, and respond to emerging effects of human activities.

2008 Sea otter range in British Columbia (shown in red)