In some animals, however, the shunt remains open after the animal is born, compromising its liver function, slowing growth, and eventually resulting in death of many affected animals.
Sea Otters favor confined areas, such as bays and inlets. They stay in areas where the water is less than 130 feet deep, but travel through much deeper water. Sea Otters do not live in deeper waters because then it is a longer dive for them to catch their food.Sea Otters hang in groups called rafts; they usually hang out by waters near shore or kelp beds and where shellfish are plentiful. (See also Adaptation).ea Otters do not live in deeper waters because then it is a longer dive for them to catch their food. Sea Otters hang in groups called rafts; they usually hang out by waters near shore or kelp beds and where shellfish are plentiful.
Sea otters in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary are descendants of otters translocated from Alaska in 1969 and 1970. Modern efforts in sea otter conservation began in the early 19th century, when the sea otter was nearly extinct due to large-scale commercial hunting. The sea otter was once abundant in a wide arc across the North Pacific ocean, from northern Japan to Alaska to Mexico. By 1911, hunting for the animal's luxurious fur had reduced the sea otter population to fewer than 2000 individuals in the most remote and inaccessible parts of its range. During the 20th century, sea otter populations recovered from remnant populations in the far east of Russia, western Alaska, and California.