There has been a recent increase in the number of dead sea otters washing ashore on Kachemak Bay and lower Cook Inlet beaches, including multiple carcasses within short stretches of beach, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a press release last Friday. 

If beachwalkers see stranded or dead sea otters or other marine mammals, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service urges people to report these sightings to the Alaska Sealife Center’s Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline at 888-774-7325 or 907-224-6395. Include information on the exact location, the  date and time of encounter, and the number and type of animals involved. 

Do not touch or allow dogs to make contact with marine mammals as a precaution against contracting and/or spreading disease.