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MOSS LANDING- Make a trip up and down the California coastline. You'll spot hundreds of sea otters.
Here on the Central Coast, the sea otter population has grown over the past several decades. But, conservationists say it's not enough.
National Sea Otter Awareness Week supporters point to numbers that the popular marine mammal needs help for survival.
Within the last century, some researchers though the sea otter was extinct.
"Last year was the highest year on record for the number of dead sea otters found," said Friends of the Sea Otter's Jim Curland.
Make that 355 dead sea otters. That's 10% of the 2,800 swimming in California waters.
Most deaths last year were caused by shark bites, but there is a human factor to their demise as well.
"Pollution is a major threat. We have oil spills that can really jeopardize their health," said Friends of the Sea Otter's Frank Reynolds. "To see such a charismatic marine mammal, with population numbers that are so minimal, it inspires us to get up everyday and work harder to improve their populations."
Events are being held all over the area this week.
Get a schedule at: www.seaotterweek.org
International participators can be found here: http://www.seaotterweek.org/#!partners/c8qt .
