For millennia, these beaches likely offered a safe landing place for ancestors of area tribes. For thousands of sea creatures, these waters are still a safe haven. It wasn't always like this however.Sea otters used to reside near the Kalaloch coast. They have some of the softest fur in the world. Their hairs are packed very densely, making great insulation. This thick, warm coat replaces the layer of blubber that other marine mammals depend on to ward off the chill of our 40-50 degree water.

But this lush coat also made its wearer vulnerable to the voracious appetite of fur trappers from all over the globe. By 1911, close to one million had been killed from Alaska to California. A law was passed making hunting sea otters illegal, but by that time the hunt had stopped because otters were so hard to find. They were gone from the waters off Washington, Oregon and southern British Columbia, and only a tiny group survived in California. In 1969 and 1970, sea otters from Alaska were re-introduced to sites along the northwest Pacific coast. Now over 1,000 live off Washington's coast.

For thousands of marine species, these coastal waters are a safe haven. The marine environment and offshore islands are protected by three national wildlife refuges and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. The refuges manage the islands visible above high tide waters for 135 miles along the coast.

Credits and Sources:

National Park Service. "Kalaloch Area." NPS.gov. http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/upload/Kalaloch-2.pdf (accessed June 26th, 2015).

National Park Service. "Visiting Kalaloch and Ruby Beach." NPS.gov. http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/visiting-kalaloch-and-ruby-beach.htm (accessed June 26th, 2015).