Washington Fish and Wildlife Office
Pacific Region
 

Strandings


LOOK BUT DON’T TOUCH

It is illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to touch a marine mammal without the proper authorization. This is to protect both you and the animal. Although you have the right intentions you may actually create more harm to the animal by picking it up. For example, sea otters are susceptible to domestic pet diseases. If you took the animal to your local veterinarian you could be putting that animal at more risk than if you left it alone and waited for professional help. In addition, it can be dangerous for an untrained person to handle one of these animals; sea otters can deliver a nasty bite if not held correctly.

The following is a guide on how to respond to the stranding of a dead or live marine mammal under the authority of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Washington (sea otter). If you have concerns about marine mammals not under the authority of the Fish and Wildlife Service (i.e. whales, seals and sea lions) please contact National Marine Fisheries Service (1-206-526-6733).


What to do if you find a live sea otter in distress?

DO NOT APPROACH OR PICK UP THE ANIMAL

If you see a sea otter you believe is in distress, or out of its natural habitat, and want to help, you should call 1-877-326-8837 (1-87-SEA-OTTER). If possible, post someone to keep dogs, people and other animals away. Please be prepared to provide the following information to the Stranding Network:


What is the geographic location of the animal (give detailed directions, i.e., by a certain boat ramp/road/trail/GPS location)?

Where is the animal (beach/water)?

How long has it been there?

Have you been watching it the whole time?

How near were you when you were observing it?

How big is it? (size can indicate age of animal)

Are there any obvious signs of injury? Open wounds, gunshots?

Is it in obvious distress?

Are there any other animals in the area?

Have any other animals been near it?

General description of the situation – are there people and dogs harassing it?

Do you have photos of the animal and its location?

If the sea otter is tagged on either or both of its rear flippers, please record the color combination, flipper (right and/or left), and numbers.

After receiving answers to the above questions:

You will be directed to not touch the animal without authorization and you may be provided further instructions upon assessment of the situation by the Stranding Responder.

From the information you provide, the Stranding Responder, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, will formulate a plan of action on a case by case basis.


When Is A Sea Otter Picked Up For Rehabilitation?

The circumstances where it may generally be appropriate for a sea otter to be removed from the wild by a professional or under authority are as follows:

Dependent pup (less than about 6 months old; half the size of an adult):

Alone, not injured, observed continuously for 8 hours and no mother has been seen in the vicinity.
Alone, seriously injured or severely emaciated, and no mother has been observed for the last 1-2 hours.

Sub-adult or adult:

Not visibly injured and has been observed continuously on land for 24 hours and is acting abnormally. Please be aware that sea otters do haul out on land occasionally to rest.

Visibly injured or severely emaciated and observed continuously for several hours.

It is a public safety issue; the sea otter is on a crowded beach and there are a lot of people and dogs.

Animals can only be picked up by an authorized individual. For more details on how to become an official part of the Stranding Response Network please contact the National Marine Fisheries Service or the Fish and Wildlife Service.

If a biologist from the Stranding Network is not available to respond to the scene then, as a last resort, the Fish and Wildlife Service can verbally authorize someone to pick the animal up. However, this would be a one time authorization on a case-by-case basis.


What to do if you find a dead sea otter

If you find a sea otter carcass, please contact 1-877-326-8837 (1-87-SEA-OTTER). Please be prepared to provide the same type of information as requested for a live stranded animal (see above).

The carcass of a freshly dead sea otter can provide important information to help biologists understand their natural history and physiology. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are especially interested in obtaining sea otters that have recently died.

The carcass is less than 24 hours old if:

There are no maggots or fly eggs on or under the body
There is no foul odor or dark brown/black fluid emanating from body
The eyes are present and not wrinkled or shrunken
The animal was observed alive within the last 12 hours; i.e., not observed dead for more than 12 hours
The body is intact and not scavenged
The fur does not pull free in clumps when grasped


If you find a dead sea otter that is less than 24 hours old, please give us a call and we will try to recover the carcass. Do not disturb the carcass until you have contacted the Stranding Network. However, if the tides, predators, or people may disturb the carcass, please secure it. Please be aware that sea otters can carry diseases that are transmissible to humans and pets and should be handled with caution. Be prepared to give the exact location and take photographs if possible. Your help in collecting this information is invaluable.

Last updated: September 17, 2009
Washington Fish and Wildlife Office
Pacific Region Home

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Home Page | Department of the Interior  | USA.gov  | About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  | Accessibility  | Privacy  | Notices  | Disclaimer  | FOIA