The Sea Otter is the smallest of the marine mammals and is found in the north Pacific in shallow waters. Females weigh anywhere from 16-27 kilograms (35-60 pounds) and the males can weigh up to 40 kilograms (90 pounds). They are the only marine mammal species to use tools: they use rocks to break open clams and abalones.

The sea otter was prized for its soft luxurious coat that was used to make coats and other fine wear. The species was nearly extince by the early 20th century, but has rebounded and now there are approxiamately 2,000 living near California alone.

The sea otter is particularly vulnerable to oil spills because it has no blubber for insulation, only fur. Once it is covered in oil the fur is a poor insulator, not to mention that the Sea Otter spends 48% of its time grooming its fur. It will ingest the oil while grooming along with its food supply that has been contaminated by the oil. To ensure the species continued survival more has to be done to limit oil spills and eventually make sure they do not happen at all.