Southern sea otters are recovering along the California coast but face welfare threats from white shark bites, fishing gear entanglement, and harmful algal blooms causing domoic acid toxicity.
Otters bitten by white sharks frequently survive the initial attack but suffer massive traumatic wounds requiring weeks of intensive care if found alive. Domoic acid toxicity causes acute neurological crises — affected otters are found seizing on beaches, disoriented, and unable to swim or feed. Rehabilitation involves tube feeding, medication, and careful aquatic reintroduction over months. Otters that cannot be released become permanent ambassador animals in aquarium care. Entanglement in Dungeness crab fishing gear causes drowning deaths and limb injuries.