Sea otters have recovered significantly since near-extinction due to hunting, but face ongoing welfare challenges from pollution, disease, and entanglement.
Sea otters experiencing domoic acid poisoning suffer seizures, disorientation, and cardiac arrest. Entangled in fishing gear, they drown or suffer lacerations. White shark bites cause traumatic injury; females are disproportionately targeted. Oil spills compromise the dense fur that provides insulation, causing rapid hypothermia. Pollutants including heavy metals accumulate in sea otter tissue causing organ damage. Despite population recovery, individual welfare harms from human activities remain significant.