Reward offered in search for sea otter killer

September 3, 2016

A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the capture of person or persons responsible for fatally shooting three sea otters off the Central Coast.

In mid-August, the bodies of two juvenile males and one adult male otter washed up on the shoreline between Santa Cruz and Aptos. Tests show the otters were shot between late July and early August.

Last week, the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity announced it would contribute 10,000 to the reward. Earlier in the week, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and a private donor offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the shooter’s arrest.

Southern sea otters are protected under the Endangered Species Act and state law. Killing an otter can result in jail time and up to a $100,000 fine.

“Someone, somewhere has likely bragged about this horrible crime and it’s imperative that leads be reported to the authorities so this investigation can move ahead,” said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans program director for the Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement. “Once that happens, we’re calling on prosecutors to pursue this case to the fullest extent of the law.”