Sea otters are a keystone species of Pacific kelp forest ecosystems whose welfare faces threats from oil spills, entanglement, shark bites, and domoic acid poisoning, while their recovery from near-extinction represents one of conservation's great successes.
Sea otter welfare in the wild is marked by both remarkable recovery and ongoing acute threats. Otters affected by oil spills experience one of the most welfare-intensive wildlife emergencies: the destruction of their fur insulation causes rapid hypothermia requiring immediate intensive care including washing, warming, and hand-feeding for weeks. Domoic acid toxicosis causes seizures and disorientation in stranded animals that are suffering neurologically before rescue. The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Sea Otter Research and Conservation programme demonstrates that dedicated welfare-focused rehabilitation can return injured otters to the wild with high success rates. Preventing the oil spills and algal bloom conditions that cause these crises requires systemic environmental policy change.