Let’s Talk About Sea Otters on Haida Gwaii

Boat Tours

Dec. 8

As things slow down in our world over winter, it’s an excellent opportunity to reflect on the past and be grateful for the small wins that nature has presented in recent times.

A Brief History of Sea Otters on Haida Gwaii

Ḵu, Sea Otters were established on Haida Gwaii for thousands of years. The rich, diverse marine environment provides the perfect habitat for these curious furry sea dwellers.

The Haida have highly valued Ḵu pelts for thousands of years. The sustainable harvest of these animals pre-contact demonstrated how humans are a part of the ecosystem, promoting the movement of Ḵu populations locally.

These highly prized Ḵu pelts were plentiful in Haida dwellings when European and American trade ships arrived in the late 1700s, and this abundance triggered a coast-wide trade. The Haida would exchange pelts for tools, weapons, food and other commodities. The trade ships would then cross the pacific to trade these pelts through the port of Canton, now known as Hong Kong.

This demand for Ḵu pelts tipped an established balance between humans and the Ḵu population that had lasted for up to 25,000 years. By the end of the 1800s, and in less than 100 years of settlers arriving on the coast, the Ḵu population had been extripated.

a sea otter spotted swimming in the sea from a Moresby Explorers Boat Tour in Haida Gwaii — *PC: Artis Crawford*

How Sea Otters Found Their Way Back To Haida Gwaii

Between 1968 and 1971, Ḵu were reintroduced to parts of Washington, Alaska and Vancouver Island, but not Haida Gwaii. These populations have slowly expanded, and healthy populations thrive in multiple coastal areas.

One of the reasons Haida Gwaii is such a special place is its remoteness, which meant Ḵu had not attempted the 80 km crossing from the Canadian mainland… until recently!

In 2019, here at Moresby Explorers, we had our first confirmed sighting of the Ḵu, although there were on-island sightings in 2010. In 2021 we were lucky enough to get our first photos during a tour (photos above and below). In the photos below, you can see that the Ḵu is carrying a Guuding.ngaay, Urchin, which incredibly just happens to be the logo of Gwaii Haanas, making this sighting extra special for us! But is the return of the Ḵu a good thing?

Sea Otter spotted on Haida Gwaii boat tour — *PC: Artis Crawford*

The extirpation of the Ḵu had sent ripples through the ecosystem.

The Ḵu is a predator of many animals; most noteworthy are the Guuding.ngaay and gálgahl’yaan, abalone. Both are highly valued kinds of seafood in the human world. So, when the Ḵu vacated, the Guuding.ngaay and the gálgahl’yaan had fewer predators, and as humans tend to do, we exploited the gálgahl’yaan, and the numbers are yet to recover. However, with the Guuding.ngaay, that’s a different story; their numbers have exploded, and not even we humans can keep up.

Guuding.ngaay are voracious munchers of kelp and seaweed, decimating vast safe havens for juvenile fish and marine creatures and have created what is known as Guuding.ngaay barrens. These areas have no kelp cover and only bare rocks, causing a cascading effect on the ecosystem. Without kelp cover, fewer juvenile fish and other species benefit from the kelp forest structure.

So, on the one hand, kelp cover returning is a clear benefit, but what would be the negative impacts of Ḵu returning?

Ḵu do not have layers of blubber like sea lions and whales. Instead, these animals have the most hairs of any mammal, with 970 000 per square inch. This vast amount of hair means they have a very high metabolic rate to stay warm. They can eat 20% of their body weight daily to keep them warm, so a large population of Ḵu can quickly deplete food sources in an area. Therefore with the potential to impact the local human population's dependence on seafood, we directly compete with Ḵu.

All in all, Ḵu are an important part of the coastal ecosystem and a keystone species for Haida Gwaii. It is a thrilling time to witness the return of the Ḵu to the archipelago. Rarely in nature do we see an extinct species return to its native range.

While spotting wild and marine life isn't always guaranteed on tour with us, being local to the area, we know the best spots to go, so hopefully, you can be as lucky as we were and catch a glimpse of the Ḵu next time you join us on tour.

Looking to join us for a boat tour summer of 2023? You can learn more about each tour, and see dates and availability by clicking on the images below: