Predators and Prey of the Sea Otter
The sea otter’s diet includes about 40 marine species, including urchins, crabs, clams, abalones, mussels, and snails. Sea otters eat about 25% of their weight every day, and is arguably the number one cause in sea otter deaths, when they cannot forage enough food to feed themselves. Sea otters are known to carry rocks when they dive, to increase their weight when diving, as well as to crack open shells and protective armor, so they can eat the meat inside the shellfish. The sea otter’s predator depends on where the specific sea otter lives. In the Arctic, killer whales often dine on sea otters, while in the Californian coast, great white sharks consume many otters each year. Other predators include sea lions in certain areas, as well as eagles, which eat otter pups. On land, coyotes and bobcats also predate on otters.
Facts About Sea Otters 