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sea otter blogFrom:Dianne Walter <


If you have ever visited the Pacific Ocean along the Central Coast of California, perhaps near Monterey or Morro Bay, you might have been one of the lucky few who spotted a wonderful furry animal floating on his (or her) back, peacefully riding up and down the swells, usually eating a crab or a clam, using its tummy as a table. That, dear friends, was a Southern or California sea otter. They are very rare, only about 3,000 living along the California coast today. At one time, they were much more plentiful but over the last few hundred years, they were hunted nearly to extinction for their lovely soft fur. It was thought that they were extinct until a small group of about fifty otters was discovered in a hidden cove. They are now protected, listed as a “Threatened” species under the Federal Endangered Species Act. It is illegal to harm them or disturb them in any way.

Sea otters may look small, floating and playing in the waves but they are actually pretty big. The males can reach sixty pounds and they have sharp teeth. They eat all sorts of seafood: clams, crabs, squid, but one of their favorite foods is sea urchins. This is important because sea urchins love to eat the “hold fast” or root of giant kelp. Giant kelp grow in great forests often over 100 feet tall in the ocean along the coast. Kelp forests provide habitat for hundreds of different fish and other sea life. Kelp forests also damp or reduce the impact of waves washing away the shoreline. The one weakness of the Giant Kelp is that it grows from that one root attached to the sea floor and sea urchins can just nibble right through it.  Once the kelp loses its root, it is washed ashore where it dies in smelly piles full of flies. Without the sea otter to control the urchins, the kelp forests would disappear along with many other sea animals that live in the safety of their waving leaves.

Saving sea otters is important, not just because they are adorably cute, but because they are vital to protecting the health of the kelp forest habitat along the coast. Although it is illegal to hunt sea otters any more, they are still in grave danger. More sea otters are dying every year due to diseases caused by pollution. Fertilizer and pesticide runoff from farms, dangerous chemicals from urban runoff, a toxic brew that finds its way to the ocean in streams and storm drains where it is absorbed by the clams, crabs and even sea urchins that otters eat. These dangerous chemicals build up in the otters‘ bodies, making them so sick they die.

Another serious danger threatening the sea otters is oil. Oil is spilled into the ocean from ships and offshore wells. If even a small amount of oil gets on an otter’s fur, it can kill it.  Otters must keep their fur clean in order to stay warm. They don’t have a layer of blubber like a whale or a seal. Their fur is amazingly thick and traps air next to their skin, keeping them cozy and warm even though they live in the frigid Pacific Ocean. But if their fur gets contaminated with oil, they can’t clean it off and they will die of the cold. 

There are a number of organizations working hard to protect and save sea otters. Here are links to some of them where you can find out more about sea otters and how to help save them.

www.montereybayaquarium.org

www.marinemammalcenter.org

www.seaotters.org/ 

www.oceanconservancy.org

http://www.fws.gov/ENDANGERED/laws-policies/index.html

If you have read The Tiger's Eye, Anna's Worlds: Book One, you may have noticed mention of Grandpa Jump Toe, whose journals documenting his exploration on Thera include wonderful drawings of the many amazing creatures he saw on his travels.  These magical drawings are, in reality, the work of my father, W.R. Cole, a marvelous sculptor and artist whose whimsical drawings have delighted friends and family for decades. My plan is to bring out a book of his art in the not too distant future. In the meantime, we will continue to feature his drawings here, where his alias, Jump Toe, will keep everyone entertained.

I began writing the first book of the Anna’s Worlds series about ten years ago when we were on vacation at our favorite ocean retreat in Cambria, California. I wanted to write a fantasy series featuring a young girl as the hero, a young girl who might be an inspiration to other young girls just becoming aware of themselves as unique, special people.  I also wanted to write about how the Earth is being harmed by human activity but I didn’t want the usual heavy-handed preaching that often happens to writers who care deeply about the natural world. Instead, I chose to weave tales of magic, adventure, the discovery of another world, struggle against evil forces, romance, love and the courage and bravery of three young people and their animal friends. But the theme behind the stories is always the desperate need to save the Earth.

From time to time, I’ll post stories on this blog space about real life heroes who are making a difference in the ongoing efforts to care for the Earth and all life.  I will try to provide links to websites where we can learn from the multitudes of brave folks who work to stop pollution, stop animal cruelty, preserve open space and ecosystems, care for wildlife, clean up our oceans, our air and our water and educate us on how to live more lightly on the Earth. I hope these stories and Anna’s adventures will inspire new generations of young people to become active participants in caring for the Earth, our home, our refuge and our future.