Saturday, September 10, 2005

Sea Otters and Penguins Evacuated to Monterey



Two sea otters and several penguins arrived here (Monterey Aquarium) from New Orleans today.

During the fur trade of the 18th and 19th centuries, southern sea otters were hunted to near extinction. Today only about 2,200 otters can be found off California's central coast. Since January 1977, US Fish and Wildlife Service has placed sea otters on the Endangered Species list so they are protected by state and federal laws.

A fun thing to do is cruise the Elkhorn Slough with Capt. Yohn where you can get up close and almost personal with these cute little furry critters.