Sea Otter   They were hunted extensively for their luxurious
fur. Its estimated that a half million to a million otters were
killed over time. The population is thought to have been 150,000
to 300,000 historically before the years of the great hunt.
Although several subspecies are still endangered, the otters
have since been legally protected, and reintroduction efforts
have shown positive results in some areas.  Physical description
Exceptionally thick brown fur insulates the animal and retains
air. The sea otters have sebaceous gland secretions of squalene
(normally found only in minor concentrations in other mammals).
This creates an effective barrier between the water and the skin
and acts as a substitute for subcutaneous insulating fat.
Underneath each powerful front flipper is a pouch of skin used
to temporarily store food collected during extended dives to the
bottom. The front flippers also have retractile claws, while the
hind flippers are longer, broadly flattened and webbed. The
fifth digit on the