Sea Otters — Reading Comprehension Lesson

Reading Passage

Sea Otters

Sea otters are marine mammals that live along the rocky coastlines of the northern Pacific Ocean, from California to Alaska and across to Japan. They are members of the weasel family and have the thickest fur of any animal — up to one million hairs per square inch. Unlike seals and whales, sea otters have no blubber and rely entirely on their dense, waterproof fur for insulation against cold ocean water.

Sea otters are remarkably skilled tool users. They dive to the ocean floor to collect shellfish such as clams, sea urchins, and abalone, then float on their backs and crack the shells open using rocks balanced on their chests. They have loose pouches of skin under their front legs where they store both food and their favorite rocks. Sea otters must eat around 25 percent of their body weight in food each day to generate enough body heat.

Sea otters play a critical role in kelp forest ecosystems. They prey heavily on sea urchins, which would otherwise overgraze and destroy kelp forests. By keeping sea urchin populations in check, otters allow kelp to thrive — supporting fish, invertebrates, and other marine life. Removing sea otters from an ecosystem can cause kelp forests to collapse within years.

Sea otters were hunted almost to extinction during the 18th and 19th centuries for their valuable fur. By 1900, fewer than 2,000 remained. International protection laws enacted in 1911 and later conservation efforts have allowed populations to recover, though sea otters remain listed as endangered in parts of their range. They rest in groups called rafts, often wrapping themselves in kelp to avoid drifting away while they sleep.

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