Joel Sartoreのインスタグラム(joelsartore) - 10月27日 23時11分

Northern sea otters like this one named Capers at the @MNZoo are found from Russia, along the coast all the way to Baja and are a larger species than the ones found along the CA coast. Males can weigh as much as 100 pounds while females are smaller at around 50-60 pounds. Sea otters are among the most charismatic marine mammals and are often found carrying rocks for use in opening their prey. They find food under rocks on the bottom of the ocean floor and along the shoreline where they forage on mussels, clams, crabs and urchins.
Sea otter fur is the densest of any marine mammal and has as many as one million hairs per square inch. Because they have no blubber, otters are constantly grooming themselves to keep themselves warm in the cold oceans they inhabit. Otters paws have claws that turn backward and they use them as a “comb” to keep the hairs separated, blowing air into their coats to enhance the warmth.
While oil spills are harmful to all sea life, the sea otter is especially vulnerable because they are dependent on a pristine coat for their warmth. As a keystone species, otters keep the environment in balance. They are often the dominant species that keeps lesser species from taking over. They are also an indicator of the health of the oceans they inhabit. If the otters are not surviving on the food they consume, then neither will the humans who eat the same type of food.
Populations of sea otters are declining in some areas while other areas are stable at the moment, but due to human impact they live on a precipice of extinction. Today the southern sea otter as well as some populations of the Northern sea otter, is listed as a “threatened population” and it is up to us to take the necessary steps to protect the environment in which they live in order to protect the environment for all of us.
This image was taken with a Nikon D4. ISO 1000, Aperture 1.4, Shutter 1/250.
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#otters #NOTAPET #cute #seaotters #adorable #otter #cuteanimals #sealife #marinelife #marinemammals #nature #conservation #biodiversity #animalfacts #wildlife #wildlifephotography #natgeo #savetogether #photoark

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