18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Sea otter mother with pup.

Sea otter pups take a long time to mature enough to leave their mothers, and it's not unusual to see a mother with a pup almost as large as she is. It's always nice to see pups though, because these animals are having problems reestablishing themselves in the southern part of their range.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2018
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Morro Bay, California, United States of America
Copyright: © Gordon Illg