Sea Otter

A prominent fur trade in the 18th and 19th centuries lead Sea Otters to extirpation (localized extinction) from B.C. in 1929. This lead to an explosion of sea urchins in the area (a favourite snack of Sea Otters), and in turn destroyed many of the coast's kelp forests and had a major impact on the ecosystem. In the 60s and 70s, 89 Sea Otters were reintroduced to B.C. from a remaining population in Alaska. Luckily, the reintroduction was a success, and there are now more than 4,700 Sea Otters in B.C. (as of 2008)! The sea urchin populations are declining again, and the kelp forests are rebounding.