Evolution of Sea Otters with a Marine Biologist

"Sea otters once roamed the entirety of the coast from California to Alaska. But where did they come from? How did these adorable animals evolve into one of the most important animals in the ecosystem? How did they become endangered, how they recovered, and what does their future hold? A marine biologist answers these questions, and more!

The first sea otter wasn’t the clam eating sea otter we all know and love. It was Enhydra Macrodonta, or the large-toothed sea otter. As the name suggests, this otter had large, robust teeth that were significantly larger than the dentition of modern sea otters. Like most Pleistocene megafauna, the large tooth sea otter became extinct sometime during the last ice age. Around 25,000 years ago. Giving rise to the modern sea otter. Who first evolved in the waters between Russia and northern Japan before spreading around the Pacific Rim all the way down to the Baja peninsula.

This is around the same time that the indigenous peoples of North America are believed to have crossed the landbridge connecting Asia and Alaska. And sea otters played a very important role for many maritime indigenous cultures such as the Haida of Haida Gwaii and the Aleuts of the Aleutian Islands. Many of these cultures have strong animist traditions full of stories and legends where sea otters were considered kin to humans. Many anthropologists attribute this to the sea otter’s almost human-like behaviors. Such as the way they use tools, clap, hold hands while they sleep, and even the strong bonds formed between mothers and pups.

Unfortunately, this is where the “explorers” come in. Specifically, German zoologist and explorer Georg Steller who “discovered'' sea otters in 1741 when he was shipwrecked on an island in the Bering Sea. Most of his crewmates died in that shipwreck, but the survivors, spent the winter hunting sea otters. They returned to Russia with over a thousand pelts and were able to sell them at exorbitant prices. They were so profitable that British Explorer James Cook referred to them as “soft gold.” This set off the “Great Hunt”... also known as the fur trade."