Sea Otter Savvy fosters awareness and stewardship in central California coastal communities and the wildlife-viewing public to reduce human-sea otter conflict and disturbance and increase an ethic of co-existence.
The Sea Otter Savvy program was established in summer of 2015 as a result of collaborative efforts by Southern Sea Otter Research Alliance members from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Friends of the Sea Otter, and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). A panel of these advisors meets regularly to discuss strategies and upcoming projects. As we have grown and developed, Sea Otter Savvy has become a trusted source of sea otter information throughout California and beyond. Our community-based research and outreach program was recognized as a tax-exempt public benefit nonprofit organization under IRS code 501(c)(3) in 2020.
The goal of the Sea Otter Savvy program is to reduce sea otter disturbance by inspiring responsible viewing of wild sea otters. The program will accomplish this goal by engaging and educating the wildlife-viewing public, either directly or indirectly through operators of marine recreation and ecotourism businesses.
Sea Otter Savvy’s objectives include (1) Reducing the frequency of disturbance to sea otters that results from the proximity and behavior of commercial and personal marine recreation and wildlife viewing activities; (2) Increasing community awareness about sea otters and foster community stewardship (3) Conducting and facilitating research that increases our scientific understanding of the impacts of human activities on sea otters.
Four major tasks are needed to fulfill the objectives:
- Identify the target audience, measure program effectiveness, and quantify the effects of disturbance on sea otters’ activity levels by establishing baseline and post-inception levels and mechanisms of sea otter disturbance
- Develop guidelines to assist the target audience with strategies for avoiding disturbance of sea otters
- Create and disseminate outreach content to provide comprehensive information to our target audience in order to create a deeper awareness of sea otter conservation issues.
- Build a public recognition system for organizations and individuals complying with and promoting disturbance-avoidance techniques and policies.
For more information, please visit us at https://www.seaottersavvy.org/ or in our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@SeaOtterSavvy.
- California Sea Otters: Life on the Edge In this fascinating exploration of California’s southern sea otters, we dive deep into their incredible lives and vital role as keystone predators in marine ecosystems. Once hunted nearly to extinction for their valuable fur, sea otters have made a remarkable recovery, but they still face numerous challenges. From their astounding appetites to their dense fur, which helps them survive without blubber, these animals are uniquely adapted to life in the ocean. This documentary highlights their critical role in maintaining healthy kelp forests, seagrass beds, and salt marshes, which support a wide array of marine life and benefit humans as well.
- Float Down the Coast with Sea Otters 2024 Join us for our Sea Otter Awareness Week 2024 Float Down the Coast with Sea Otters! You will have the unique opportunity to virtually visit locations along the Pacific coast and witness areas with and without wild sea otters. As our sea otter biologists, tribal representatives, and interpreters inform on sea otter behavior, habitat, and significance, we will virtually travel southward in this We Were Here sea otter event!
- Every Otter Counts This short film by Lars Nelson chronicles the efforts of the nonprofit organization Sea Otter Savvy, and their vision of Community that drives their mission. We hear from the organization’s directors and partners how they use scientific research to promote community stewardship for sea otters of California’s central coast to work towards coexistence with this iconic, charismatic and vulnerable species in their neighborhood.
