Are you sea otter savvy? Scientists create a guide for SLO County beachgoers
As the weather warms during the summer, more locals and tourists head to the beach, where they often end up sharing the space with sea otters who call this part of California home.
But the fluffy critters are “exceptionally vulnerable” to human disturbance, and harmful interactions can decrease their chances of survival, according to Gena Bentall, director of the Sea Otter Savvy program, which works to reduce sea otter disturbance.
Because sea otters don’t have a blubber layer like other marine mammals, “they are working every moment of every day to maintain their body temperature in cold water” Bentall told The Tribune. If they are disturbed by people, the extra energy they spend can make them more prone to disease and to abandon their pups, overall making them “less prone to long-term survival,” Bentall said.
To make sure that larger numbers of people in the water don’t affect sea otters’ livelihoods, Sea Otter Savvy works to educate locals, tourists and businesses on better ways to coexist with the otters, especially during the summer.
“It’s busy on the water,” Bentall said. “Every year we prepare. We start getting ready in the spring for there to be extra tourists and visitors in these coastal towns. A lot of times there’s people that have never been in a kayak before. They’re learning how to kayak as well as how to respect wildlife all at the same time. And that can be kind of a lot.”
Started in 2015 by some environmental scientists, the two-person nonprofit relies on the advice and support of local marine biologists and other organizations to create guidelines that people both in and out of the water can follow to respect sea otters.
The program focuses its efforts in the areas between Santa Cruz and Port San Luis, Bentall said, concentrating on coastal towns in San Luis Obispo County such as Morro Bay and Avila Beach, which are places with large sea otter populations, Bentall said.
How to best interact with sea otters
Bentall told the Tribune that when sharing spaces with animals such as sea otters, above all people should “pay attention to what is going on around (them) in the moment,” as this can help them better respond to situations where sea otters are involved.
A good rule of thumb for kayakers is to stay a distance of at least five kayaks away from the otters, Bentall said. They should also attempt to pass the animals on a parallel line, instead of having the bow of the kayak pointed at the otters.
Those on land should also be careful about the way they take photos of the fuzzy marine mammals by making sure they’re giving the otters enough space and not catching their attention.
“If the sea otter is actually looking at the photographer, that is a direct eye contact photo,” Bentall said. “That is not a sea otter savvy photo.” She added that it was important to prioritize “the needs of wildlife over getting a great video for Instagram.”
Boaters should also keep a careful eye on otters to make sure they give them enough space, Bentall said. Fisherman especially should try to retrieve broken line, as Bentall said that her group has seen increasing numbers of otters tangled in fishing line.
Bentall said that the nonprofit’s guidelines will be a success if having considerate sea otter interactions becomes a social norm “that pressures or encourages folks to be respectful around wildlife.”
For this to happen, Sea Otter Savvy encourages community members to “be good role models” by being vocal, kind and informative or by picking up trash and bits of fishing line during beach strolls, Bentall said.
“Anybody is capable of being sea otter savvy,” Bentall said.
Businesses can get certified as sea otter savvy
Local businesses can also help promote responsible interactions between sea otters and people, Bentall said.
Sea Otter Savvy has a certification program where businesses in the area can apply to go through a review program that evaluates if they’re working to mitigate harmful interactions between otters and people, she said, and are promoting the protection of wildlife.
“Once they meet those criteria, then we we certify them and they get swag,” Bentall said. “They get flags, they get a logo that they can use post on their website or at their place of business to signify that they’ve been certified.”
The application for the certification program is available on Sea Otter Savvy’s website.
Those who have more questions about sea otter conservation can also check out the website for information, or contact Sea Otter Savvy through the page, Bentall said.
And this September, to celebrate Sea Otter Awareness Week, Bentall said Sea Otter Savvy will also have “lots of in-person events” such as “viewing stations along the Central Coast where people can get out and talk to two volunteers about sea otters and see them in the wild.”
