Say hello to this mom and newborn pup in Monterey Bay, California, during Sea Otter Awareness Week. Sea otters shower their pups with attention, cradling them and grooming them for hours. But it"s more than a gesture of affection—a mom will rub her pup to fluff the pup"s coat, which causes the fur to retain air bubbles. The air insulates the pup from chilly water and sometimes causes the youngster to float like a cork. Sea otters can survive on land, but they spend most of their time in the water, sleeping above the surface and anchoring themselves with kelp—or by holding onto each other. When they get hungry, they use rocks as tools to hunt food and pry open shells—something that makes them relatively unique, as they"re one of the few animal species that can use tools.
Celebrating sea otters
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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International Mountain Day
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Holidays in the Venetian Lagoon
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The birth of Bauhaus
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Fighting evil with costumes
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Native American Heritage Month
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Over the boardwalk
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Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe
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Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
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An island for the birds
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Taking the scenic route to Sturgis
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A cozy winter village
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Happy Fathers Day!
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International Day of Peace
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We did not invent this, honest
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Hallstatt, Austria
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Spotted Lake emerges
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International Day of Color
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It’s Siblings Day!
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A viewer with a view
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Cue up the tango music
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The mountain of 30,000 sakura
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A water loch-ed castle
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Stari Most in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
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Whooper swans in Lake Kussharo, Japan
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Happy birthday to the Peak!
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Cinco de Mayo
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Get amped for Glastonbury
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Celebrating a Paris landmark
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A glittering diamond in the rough