How the fur trade nearly erased Washington's sea otters

Name: How the fur trade nearly erased Washington's sea otters
Uploaded: 2026-02-21T01:06:14Z
Description: For more than a century, sea otters vanished from Washington’s waters, hunted to extinction and nearly erased from local history. Today, conservationists say their slow return to the coast underscores both the damage of the past and the promise of recovery.

For more than a century, sea otters vanished from Washington’s waters, hunted to extinction and nearly erased from local history. Today, conservationists say their slow return to the coast underscores both the damage of the past and the promise of recovery.

Posted February 20, 2026 5:06pm PST