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Status of Northern Sea Otters in Washington |
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| The story of sea otter translocations to Southeastern Alaska, British Columbia, and the Pacific Northwest is one of success, despite planning problems, two oil spills in Washington, and a failure in Oregon. Intervention by state, federal, and provincial conservation agencies has restored sea otters to a significant portion of their former range many decades before they could or would have done by natural dispersal. There are now thriving populations of sea otters throughout much of their historic range. Most, if not all of these would not exist had it not been for the translocation effort that took place in the late 1960s and early 1970s. | |
| In Washington, 59 northern sea otters from Alaska were released in 1969 and 1970 off the outer coast of the Olympic Peninsula. The first release of 29 took place near Pt. Grenville; the second in 1970 occurred near La Push when 30 more were liberated. At least 16 otters are known to have died in 1969, but mortality in 1970 was apparently light. Only sporadic observations of sea otters were reported after the releases, and not until 1977 was a survey conducted to determine the fate of the translocated sea otters. Surveys have continued and were conducted biennially until 1989 and annually to the present. |  |
| Photo by Gwen Jameson | |
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