sea 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

Skeptics Of Sea Otter Reintroduction Getting Organized On Pacific Coast

By Tom Banse August 13, 2021

Earle is the newest sea otter in Oregon, living at the aquarium in Newport. Sea otters have not naturally repopulated to the Oregon Coast from California or Washington, so a reintroduction effort is now being studied.

Sea otters are undeniably cute, but cuteness only goes so far when major economic interests are at stake. That's an inference you can make from the emergence of organized pushback to the possible reintroduction of sea otters along the Oregon Coast.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