The World of the Sea Otter

Long admired by nature lovers and marine scientists, the sea otter is extraordinarily well adapted to the sea, where it can spend its entire life span eating, sleeping, giving birth, and rearing its young without ever coming ashore. Richly illustrated, The World of the Sea Otter is both an authoritative natural history and a visual celebration of this playful creature. In the book's opening chapters, Stefani Paine explores the natural history of the smallest of sea mammals. We learn how its waterproof fur coat enables it to survive in the sea; how it uses tools to harvest mussels and mollusks; and how it cares for and educates its young. Paine also examines the sea otter's extensive range and skill at traveling great distances in the open sea. Later chapters describe this animal's unique relationship with humans - from the great fur hunts of the 1700s that nearly led to the extinction of the sea otter, to the early, unsuccessful attempts to return this creature to its vast ancestral range, and finally to its recent flourishing and slow return to once-highly populated areas. The lively, informative text is augmented by over 60 stunning full-color photographs by Jeff Foott. Together, text and photographs combine to capture the beauty and power of the coastal seas and to emphasize that we must take part to help ensure the continued prosperity of this fascinating creature.