Watching a gif of sea otters clapping such as the one above always brightens my mood, regardless of how I am feeling or what day of the week it is. However, since embarking on this journey to learn more about my favorite marine mammal in the world, if not the universe, I have realized that I, among others, have been taking these majestic and lovable sea otters for granted. Unknowingly, of course, but to the point that our generation may have never known what sea otters are.
Modern and historical sea otter ranges provided by WikiMedia
The Bad News
Sea otters were once coveted for more than their hand-holding abilities and small stature, but for their luxurious fur. Noted as having the densest hair of all marine mammals, the sea otter’s coat attracted poachers to hunt these endearing creatures for large-scale commercialization. According to Sean Carroll’s article in Nautilus…
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