otters Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Some Otterly Pleased By New Report On Bringing Sea Otters Back To Oregon Coast, Others Paws Down

By Tom Banse August 5, 2022

Applause and concern are swirling around a new feasibility assessment of restoring sea otters along the 900 miles of vacant historical range in Oregon and northern California.

A federal study ordered by Congress concluded it would be feasible to reintroduce sea otters to the Oregon and northern California coasts. However, that finding doesn't mean the super-cute predators will be relocated into their former ocean habitat anytime soon.Read More

Sea Otter Reintroduction For More Of The Pacific Coast Gets A Nudge From Congress

By Tom Banse January 9, 2021

Presently, the only places to see sea otters in Oregon are at the Oregon Zoo and the Oregon Coast Aquarium, where this guy lives. TOM BANSE / NW NEWS NETWORK

Bringing back sea otters to the Oregon Coast just got a high-level endorsement. The federal budget for this new year, which President Trump signed after some unrelated last minute drama, includes a directive to study sea otter reintroduction.Read More

Does Cuteness Count? A Cost-Benefit Analysis Encourages Backers Of A Northwest Sea Otter Return

By Tom Banse June 21, 2020

A sea otter in the waters off Vancouver Island

A study of sea otter restoration in British Columbia is giving encouragement to a group that wants to bring sea otters back to the Oregon Coast. The research team led by the University of British Columbia analyzed the rebound in sea otters off the coast of Vancouver Island. Read More

Bringing Back Oregon’s Sea Otters Gets Federal Bucks For Feasibility Study

By Tom Banse February 14, 2020

A group that wants to bring back wild sea otters to the Oregon Coast is taking a big step forward. The federal government has awarded them a grant to launch a feasibility study for a possible reintroduction effort.Read More

Otter Fans Float Plan To Bring Sea Otters Back To Oregon Coast

By Tom Banse November 14, 2018

Presently, the only places to see sea otters in Oregon are at the Oregon Zoo and the Oregon Coast Aquarium, where this guy lives. CREDIT: TOM BANSE

It's been more than a century since sea otters were hunted to near extinction along the U.S. West Coast. The cute animals were successfully reintroduced along the Washington, British Columbia and California coasts, but an attempt to bring them back to Oregon in the early 1970s failed. Now a new nonprofit has formed to try again.Read More