A Raft of Otters

Southern Sea Otter -- Moss Landing, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II, ISO: 250, f/5.6, 1/2000s

A group of sea otters is called a raft.  It makes total sense when you see one.

I don't know how long they've been there, but a raft seems to have taken up permanent residence at the harbor in Moss Landing.  It's the best place I know of  to see southern sea otters in the wild.  A kayak will put you right there in the water with them.  You're supposed to stay a specific distance away from all of the marine mammals there, but sometimes they decide to come to you and there's not much you can do about it except to enjoy the show.

Photo selection inspired by Geogypsy's Foto Friday Fun, image #2982.

Southern Sea Otters

Southern Sea Otter -- Moss Landing, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, f/5.6, 1/1600s, ISO: 1250

More cuteness from this weekend.  Today it's otters.

Otters

Southern Sea Otter -- Moss Landing, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II, 1/1600s, f/5.6, ISO: 320

Hauled Out

Southern Sea Otter -- Moss Landing, CA

Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II, 1/2000s, f/5.6, ISO: 800

Sea otters spend most of their time in the water, but they do haul out occasionally.  It's not uncommon to see one or two on the beaches of Moss Landing's harbor.  This guy was near the seals on the sand bar.  He was quite large, almost as big as some of the smaller adult seals.

This photo is cropped a lot, but it's still pretty clear.  Sometimes I get lucky.

Southern Sea Otter

Southern Sea Otter -- Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II, 1/2000s, f/5.6, ISO: 3200

I don't know of a better place to see sea otters than at Moss Landing's harbor and the adjacent Elkhorn Slough.  This guy was near the shore in the slough.  He seemed to be just hanging out, occasionally diving for food, I presume.  The life of an otter seems pretty good in the slough.