This face belongs to a sea otter. It spends nearly its whole life at sea, barely touching land.
Sea otters sleep floating on the water. The problem is the waves. While they sleep, waves can carry a friend far away.
Waking up alone would be so sad
So sometimes they hold hands. If they grip the paws of the otter next to them, they won't drift apart.
With no friend to hold, they wrap kelp around their bodies. Kelp is a long seaweed rooted on the seafloor, so it holds them like an anchor.
A group of otters floating together like this is called a raft in English. Yes, a raft.
Even the name for the group is cute. That's cheating
Pups sleep on their mother's belly. A pup's fur is so full of air that it can't dive even if it wants to. It just bobs along.
One more thing. Under each arm, a sea otter has a loose pocket of skin. They keep food and a favorite rock in it. They use that rock to crack open clams on their belly.
I want a pocket for my favorite rock too
Watch it as a short
Sources
Photo credits
- Sea otters holding hands.jpg, Joe Robertson from Austin, Texas, USA., CC BY 2.0 (source)
- Enhydra lutris face.jpg, mikebaird, CC BY 2.0 (source)
- Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris), from a raft of about 15, (8625968237).jpg, Mike Baird from Morro Bay, USA, CC BY 2.0 (source)
- Otter in kelp field.jpg, Doug Knuth, CC BY-SA 2.0 (source)
- A newborn baby Sea Otter, Enhydra lutris, Morro Bay.jpg, Mike Baird from Morro Bay, USA, CC BY 2.0 (source)
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