Where do sea otters live?
Sea otters once ranged along the rim of the Northern Pacific, from Japan across the Arctic and down to Baja California. The population numbered between 150,000 to 300,000 animals. But fur traders seeking their lush pelts hunted the otters nearly to extinction in the 1700s and 1800s. Today, there are small populations of sea otters along the coasts of Russia, Alaska and central California.
