Between Aug. 12 and Aug. 19, three male sea otters washed ashore between the Santa Cruz Harbor and Seacliff State Beach in Aptos.
The otters, which had been dead for days, had all suffered gunshot wounds.
In a joint statement today from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, officials announced a $10,000 reward for information that might lead to the arrest of the suspect or suspects who committed the crime.
Per the statement, the reward money is being put up by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, CDFW and a private donor.
Southern sea otters, a threatened species, are protected under the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and California law. Killing an otter can lead to fines of up to $100,000 and possible jail time.
Anyone with information about the otter shootings is encouraged to contact the CalTIP line at 1-888-334-2258 (callers may remain anonymous) or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 650-876-9078.