Increased Human Activity Poses Potential Threat to Marine Wildlife

When Governor Newsom issued the first shelter-in-place orders in March to address the COVID-19 outbreak, it looked as though wildlife throughout California would get a break from the intense stress of human activity. As we stayed home, we watched encouraging stories of wildlife reoccupying city streets, parks and waterways in our absence. For many of us, these stories highlighted the profound impact our everyday presence has on the natural world. But biologists and agency managers tasked with protecting wildlife knew the reprieve was temporary. 

Gena Bentall, director and senior scientist with Sea Otter Savvy, wondered, “How will humans and non-humans alike react when the world reopens, and what can we do to encourage people to respect wildlife?”

Along California’s central coast, marine recreation businesses began reopening in June. Rentals of kayaks and stand-up paddleboards resumed with minor restrictions and paddlers tentatively re-entered popular coastal waterways in Moss Landing, Monterey and Morro Bay. By early August, most of these businesses were operating at full capacity with some experiencing record rental numbers. Sales of kayaks and paddleboards have also been booming. While many types of recreational activities are still limited by COVID-19, kayakers and paddleboarders are once again crowding coastal ecosystems shared by wildlife. In turn, Sea Otter Savvy and other conservation groups are fielding a surge of reports about disturbances to sea otters and other animals. It appears that the pandemic-caused respite is over for the central coast’s iconic wildlife like sea otters, harbors seals, pelicans and whales.

“We are all eager for a return to outdoor places after being cooped up for months, but we must not forget to respect the full-time residents of these wild places,” said Bentall. “For us, it is recreation. For them, it is survival.”

Andy Johnson, a California representative with Defenders of Wildlife, echoes those concerns. “Coexisting with wildlife presents enormous challenges,” Johnson states. “Along with identifying potential conflicts, we must also generate solutions that consider the needs of both humans and wildlife. If we want the privilege of viewing extraordinary creatures in coastal habitats, we have to allow them the space to exist among us.”

Bentall and Johnson offer guidance on how to safely coexist with our marine wildlife and tips for  how to behave when encountering animals in the wild.

Practice wildlife stewardship. Being a steward simply means showing respect to something entrusted to your care. When you are recreating around wild animals, show them the same consideration you would expect from guests in your home.

Give them space. All wild animals need space to sleep, find food and rear their young. This distance varies by species and location. When in doubt, don’t approach closer than eight lengths of your kayak (about 100 feet) and stop if you see an animal react to you at any distance. 

Pass by parallel. Having a boat approaching head-on is scary for most wildlife. If you angle your bow away and pass by at a proper distance, most wildlife will ignore you. 

Pay attention. Be mindful of how wild animals react to you. If they are looking at you, it is a warning you are too close and should back away.

Keep wildlife wild. Never feed or touch wild animals. Prevent curious sea otters from boarding your kayak by blocking or splashing them with your paddle. Direct interactions between humans and wildlife may result in injury, disease transmission or removal of the animal from the wild.

Be a responsible boater. Motorized boats should travel at safe speeds to avoid collisions with wildlife and should not speed through sensitive habitats like kelp beds and no-wake zones.

See something? Say something! Be part of creating a social norm. Report incidents of wildlife feeding or harassment to CalTIP (888-334-2258). You can also report incidents of sea otter disturbance and harassment here.

For interviews, images or further information, contact Gena Bentall at Sea Otter Savvy (805-459-9444, gena@seaottersavvy.org) or Rebecca Bullis at Defenders of Wildlife (202-772-0295, rbullis@defenders.org).

Visit www.seaottersavvy.org for more information about sea otters and preventing wildlife disturbance.

Sea Otter Savvy is a project of Defenders of Wildlife.