Presentation on Sea Otters

Sea otter and pup.\Photo by Eleanor Solomon.

Bob Bailey, president of the Elakha Alliance, will speak about the possibility of restoring sea otters to Oregon on Tuesday, March 10, 6:30 p.m., at the Curry Public Library (94341 3^rd St.) in Gold Beach.  The talk is free and open to all.

Bailey, a former Oregon Shores board member, is the retired head of the state’s Coastal Management Program, and has been instrumental in the development of the Elakha Alliance, which promotes research into the possibility of re-introducing sea otters to Oregon’s coastal environment.

Once common on the Oregon coast, sea otters were hunted nearly to extinction for their rich fur in the late 1700s and early 1800s.  Although they have returned elsewhere, they remain missing on the Oregon coast. Decades ago, a previous attempt to re-introduce them failed. What will it take to help them return to Oregon? 

This talk will explore the history of sea otters in Oregon, their ecological and cultural importance, and the prospects for their return and recovery. It will touch on the mission of the Elakha Alliance, an Oregon non-profit organization (which Oregon Shores helped to found, and continues to support) devoted to sea otter conservation.