Ever Seen Sea Otters Around Ukee?

[Dogbreath]

So?

Lots of people here have spent all kinds of time around Ukee-and Tofu Town-ever seen Sea Otters 'n the hood?

Lots around Kyuquot for sure but I just read a report on the net from someone who was Whale Watching this past summer out of Ukee and claims to have spotted two Sea Otters.

Of course this was a tourist from England and someone may have been leading the guy on-it has been known to happen (!)

 

[profisher]

Seen one in Sooke about 6-7 years ago.

 

[Lipripper]

Seen one in Sooke about 6-7 years ago.

Really??? You must be kiddin...

 

[profisher]

Nope, verified later that day by Tom when he ran the whale watching boat. They saw it the same day. It was cruising fast with a flood tide off the spit heading east.

 

[Lipripper]

Look harder...

 

[profisher]

LOL, I know the difference. See them in Nootka all the time and see those ones at the dock every day

 

[Sculpin]

I have seen them offshore out of Tofino and they are BIG!!! We got caught in a NW blow up and it was white everywhere.....we where heading in as best as we could and looked over and saw this shaggy critter looking right at us off of the port side. I thought it was human at fist!!!! Freaked us right out.

 

[Bod]

Yup. See the odd one around Bamfield once in a while. Also around Alley and Great Bear. Mostly large males that are traveling. I don't think there is a resident population in the sound.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

Lots between Tofino and Hotsprings Cove in Clayoquot, have seen over a dozen rafted up in the kelp on the inside there. Out of Ukee there was one hanging around the buoy out at Lighthouse Bank in June and July and there's often a big male around the Red Can right out front. Last year on my way in my buddy said, hey look at the sea lion. I looked over and said that's no sea lion, it's a sea otter. He thought no way, way too big. So I pulled around and the big male was content doing the back stroke in 4 foot swells. Haven't seen any inside Barkley Sound but have seen the odd one on the outside rocks - Great Bear and Sail areas. Not surprising that tide pooling with my daughter we've been coming across live abalone on a fairly regular basis now - the two seem to go hand in hand! Nice to see them around, for sure!

Ukee

 

[the fog ducker]

% 100

there was one that made a home under the gas dock at Poett Nook last summer...

fd

 

[Derby]

A friend had one living in his Grady in Ukee a couple season ago..... Untill he was about 20 miles off shore and it dicide to bail off.....

 

[Peahead]

I have seen them offshore out of Tofino and they are BIG!!! We got caught in a NW blow up and it was white everywhere.....we where heading in as best as we could and looked over and saw this shaggy critter looking right at us off of the port side. I thought it was human at fist!!!! Freaked us right out.

You probably thought Osama had drifted all the way to Tofino !

 

[beemer]

There is a colony in Neah Bay that is developing. I found one in Oak Bay in 2007 , first time recorded in over 100 years. One or two are sighted every year off Sooke to San Juan Island.

beemer

 

[tyeegalore]

Look harder...

Those arent sea otters, they are River Otters. Sea Otters are more rarely seen while the River Otters you took pictures of are everywhere.

 

[Dogbreath]

Those....are River Otters. Sea Otters are more rarely seen while the River Otters .......are everywhere.

Even in Stanley Park aka downtown Vancouver!

 

[uclueletcharters]

I saw the same one out near Lighthouse Bank floating on it's back on several different days all alone. First thought was if a pod of transient Killer Whales come through he or she's done no rocks to hide on. Tried to get in close for a couple pics but it was very scitish and dove down surfacing quite a distance away each time. Neat to see though.

 

[beemer]

thanks for the zoology lesson. Here are some photos of a male sea otter from 2012 at West Race Rocks.

beemer

 

[capt hook]

They are all over False Creek now.
I hear they make good hats.

 

[uclueletcharters]

I've heard through the grape vine there is some extermination going on around shellfish farms on the west coast I know there a pain for shellfish harvesters but there great for the return of the kelp beds as they clean up on Urchins.

 

[Enniberg]

The kept us awake with their chatter some nights while camping at Island West last summer.