The Sea Otter’s Fur

The Sea Otter’s Fur

         The sea otter’s fur is an important and unique part of the sea otter.  The densest in the entire animal kingdom, it helps sea otters stay warm, as they do not have any other means of protection from the cold water.  Ironically, it is because of the sea otter’s fur that they almost became extinct.  Trappers and fur traders from the entire world came to the Pacific Ocean to trap these mammals for their furs.  Most of the sea otter population was wiped out, narrowing down approximately a million sea otters to just 1,000-2,000 in the world.  Since then, under human care and restoration, the population has risen back up to approximately 100,000 otters.  In the ocean, there are many unsanitary objects floating above and below the sea.  It is for this reason that sea otters must clean their fur constantly, to make sure the dense fur is still able to function properly, and maintain their body temperature.