Everything about Northern Sea Otters is so darn cute. I could watch them all day (and almost did). The bay was full of Otters.
Looks like he might be saying grace before dinner (or praying for a good catch).
And it worked. A few minutes later — after a quick backflip underwater – he was up again and enjoying a yummy shellfish dinner!
Time for an after-dinner nap!
Northern Sea Otters are a member of the weasel family. They are the only marine mammal that does not have blubber to keep warm. Instead they rely on their very dense fur [1200 hairs per square inch] which keeps their skin dry. That rich fur contributed to their near-demise after hunters nearly wiped them out by the early 20th century. They are now protected and the species has rebounded. But they are still considered an endangered animal because of habitat loss.
The next day we visited the sealife rehabilitaion center and learned more about them. Sea otter diet consists of shellfish. Due to their high metabolism and the cold they eat about thirty percent of their weight daily. At the center, we were told that they eat more than a Sea Lion, and are much more expensive to feed [shell fish vs herring type fish] They are one of the few mammals to use tools — they sometimes place a rock on their chest and pound the shellfish against it to crack it.
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