According to the Otter Project, our beloved sea otters health is a barometer for the ecosystem of the Monterey Bay. They have reported to The Herald the 3-year trend of otter counts has dropped for the first time since the 1990’s.

Otters have a precarious life in many ways: one oil spill could wipe them out, and although being placed on the endangered species list (counted numbers need to be a 3-year average of 3090 and the last number was 2813) otters are not protected in the “no otter zone” (from Santa Barbara to Baja) in southern California, which was instituted to appease oil companies and fishermen.

Having made a comeback after protests about fur hunts saved them, our otters are telling us the current problem is pollution of the Monterey Bay. We know there is DDT in the ocean; chemical and agricultural runoffs also need to be addressed.

Did you know…?

• There is an Exxon-Mobil gas rig near Santa Barbara that has been leaking since February? Workers haven’t found the source.
• Otters are migrating to Santa Barbara (and the no otter zone)?

Here is a KQED video made at Del Monte Beach:

Please do not dispose of cat litter in the toilet!

Thumbnail photo courtesy Mike Baird