Sea Otter Talk

A raft of sea otters.\Photo by David Sidle.

As part of the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center Fall Speaker Series, Bob Bailey of the Elakha Alliance will speak at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14.  The visitor center is located at 2400 Hwy 101, about three miles south of Yachats.

The talk is free and open to the public, but a Northwest Forest Pass, Oregon Coast Passport, federal recreation pass, or $5 day-use fee is required within the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area and at some trailheads and day use sites.

Bailey, a former Oregon Shores board member, is the retired head of the state’s Coastal Management Program, and now the president of the Elakha Alliance.

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. 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) devoted to sea otter conservation. 

For more information on these events, contact the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center, (541) 547-3289, capeperpetuacommunications@gmail.com.