When big storms occur they produce high waves which can cause sea otters to lose sight of one another, and for the mothers and their young pups to become separated. Study the sea otters to find more information on the diseases that effect them. In Alaska, the Alaskan Sea Otters have been found killed by Killer Whales. The biologists who examine the dead sea otters find shark teeth in the flesh and in the fur of the dead bodies. One Sea Otter, Skipper, has a big scar on his lip from a Great White Shark attack, which gave him the nickname, Scarlip .
Skipper is one of the lucky ones that survived a shark attack.
Most otters die from one. Large rocks probably attract the white shark, and when they see a California Sea Otter, it might be mistaken for a Sea Lion. The Alaskan sea otter does not have as a high loss of pups, but the California Sea Otter population has leveled slowly, compared to the nothern population. A reason for the high loss of pups in the Southern Sea Otter population might be that the Alaskan sea otter has thicker hair and is heavier. Scientists think that California female sea otters might of gotten a disease or a parasite that causes the pups to be very weak.