Sea Otters: A History

More than any other nonhuman species, it was the sea otter that defined the world's largest oceanscape prior to the California gold rush. In addition to the more conventional aspects of the sea otter trade, including Russian expansion in Alaska, British and American trading in the Pacific Northwest, and Spanish colonial ventures along the California coast, the global importance of the species can be seen in its impact on the East Asian maritime fur trade. This trade linked Imperial China, Japan, and indigenous Ainu peoples of the Kurile Islands as early as the fifteenth century.

In Sea Otters: A History Richard Ravalli synthesizes anew the sea otter's complex history of interaction with humans by drawing on new histories of the species that consider international and global factors beyond the fur trade, including sea mammal conservation, Cold War nuclear testing, and environmental tourism. Examining sea otters in a Pacific World context, Ravalli weaves together the story of imperial ambition, greed, and an iconic sea mammal that left a determinative imprint on the modern world.

Author: Richard Ravalli
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Published: 12/01/2018
Pages: 216
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.30w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9780803284401

Review Citation(s):
Choice 05/01/2019

About the Author
Richard Ravalli is an associate professor of history at William Jessup University.