Saw several this afternoon
Just outside Santa Cruz CA harbor, and they are always visible, even from shore, at Elkhorn Slough, Moss Landing CA.
Maine?
I’m just trying to imagine what you could have seen that could somehow be mistaken for a sea otter.
Sounds like mainly Pacific coast
Thanks for the replies. A few nights ago I watched a DVD that showed sea otters on their backs, whacking shells open as they floated with kelp anchors. It reminded me that there are still so many creatures and things to see, so many places to go. So much to learn, too.
River otter story
Last October I was paddling on the Catawba River near Rock Hill SC and spotted a (larger than normal) river otter swimming on its back eating a catfish tailfirst. I watched it for probably 2 minutes as I silently approached. It was enjoying its meal so much that it apparently had its eyes closed until I was probably 8 feet from it (only canoes and kayaks could do this) when it suddenly opened its eyes and saw the MASSIVE object (14 ft Wenonah Argosy) and it panicked so violently that the catfish head went flying about five feet into the air while it pulled off an emergency dive. It was SO FUNNY!
Elkhorn Slough/Monterrey Bay
One of the kayak companies up in Santa Cruz used to do a sea otter paddle … thinking it was Kayak Connection, but I am not sure.
Monterrey Bay and Elkhorn are great places for a flat water paddler to get on the water in Central California.
I have seen them at wilder spots like Pt. Lobo and along Big Sur.
pikabike…
Sounds like a good reason to visit the west coast. The paddling is good, too.
Santa Cruz
Had a couple swim up to my kayak today
Glacier Bay Alaska
saw many many there.
Maine? No. Sea Otters are a Pacific Basin animal and prefer kelp beds . If ever there was one here in Maine it would be a news star.
Grey Seals or harbor seals can be mistaken for them. The little harbor seals are playful and like to surf with kayakers.
otters
I’ve seen one sea otter up around Tofino on Vancouver Island. Otherwise I’ve seen dozens of otters in the ocean, but they were river otters not sea otters.
Otters
Yep,
Right out of the Santa Cruz harbor are kelp beds full of sea otter families. I have paddled beyond the kelp beds and been mesmorized by the dolphin pods that swim back and forth along the coastline there. I have had otters jump up on the front deck of my kayak while I was filming dolphins. Usually a lot of great sea activity along that stretch.
Chuck
Do you have a pirate logo on your kayak? If so, you told me about the Coast Guard Auxiliary activity.
Rafts of Sea Otters
Best place I have been to for sea otters is the Nuchatlitz area on west coast of Vancouver Island. I saw several large rafts of sea otters there, and many single ones.
Peter
It’s the year for that
The last time I paddled anywhere on the west coast was in 2009. It’s time to go back there, and this time I’ll stay longer and paddle more.
I used to refer to a former coworker as Mr. Bicoastal. Now I know what it’s like to have that affliction.
At least it’s a nice drive out there.
Rub it in!
I love your photo of the sea lion snuggling up to you on the stern deck.
Funny, though not to the otter
River otters are cool, too. When I was a kid we went to a small zoo that had river otters in a display where you could see them playing underwater.
I have seen river otters once, on Yellowstone Lake: papa, mama, and baby together.
Sea Otters
Southeast Alaska’s outer coast, the lower half of Chatham Strait, Icy Strait and Cross Sound are great places to see sea otters.
My favorite place is Tebenkof Bay on Kuiu Island. We came through there a few years ago and saw more than fifty otters in one place.
It’s true chuck smells like bad …
tuna … sea creatures love him.
Paddled the Maine coast
for 10 years, including Casco Bay around Brunswick–never saw a sea otter but have seen lots of seals–thought sea otters were a Pacific creature
Elkhorn Slough Sea Otters
– Last Updated: Jan-10-11 5:28 PM EST –
I have counted over 50 Sea Otters at Elk Horn Slough in one afternoon. Its a very protected paddling area. As long as you do not pass out beyond the jetties. You will be paddling into the wind on the way back in the afternoon, so save some energy for the paddle back.
Sea Otters are not like Seals, and Sea Lion. They are not insulated by blubber. They are insulated by their fur, and need to come to the surface to dry it out periodically. If you disturb them while they are drying out, and they dive, they can get hypothermia. Please keep a distance from them, and do not make them dive.
Interesting story about the California Sea Otters. They were actually thought to be extinct at one time. Mostly because the local Abalone divers shot them because they eat Abalone.
Turns out a colony survived down in the Big Sur, in a cove so remote no one saw them for a couple decades.
The population has recovered to the point that you will see them more often than not when paddling Monterrey Bay
See link
http://mainenaturephotos.blogspot.com/2008/01/first-for-everything.html
Maybe it was a river otter as opposed to a sea otter, but trust me, it was an otter. It was in salt water and therefore I assumed it was a sea otter.