In Canadian waters, the last known sea otter was shot in 1929. Federal, provincial and state governments from Canada and the U.S. reintroduced sea otters to a remote portion of the west coast of Vancouver Island from 1969-1972. In 1996 there were over 1,500 individuals, and the Canadian sea otter population was downlisted from endangered to threatened on Canada s list of species at risk. This success is not unique. Reintroduced populations in Washington State and Southeast Alaska have also done well.
Sea otters are fortunate in that they have few natural predators.
Killer whales will prey on sea otters but appear to prefer blubber-laden seals, porpoises and dolphins. Bald eagles also take sea otters, often providing their offspring with sea otter pups. Starvation is the greatest source of mortality in sea otter populations which have grown beyond the capacity of their habitat to support them. Female sea otters have one pup per year, but the low mortality rate, coupled with an abundance of resources, allows most sea otter pups born in Canadian waters to survive. Sea otters are the smallest of marine mammals.