Sea Otters and Seals

Spotting and photographing the seals and sea otters was fun! The Sea Otters were plentiful on this part of the trip. They would float by the boat in groups of resting sea otters called 'rafts'. Sea Otters don't have a blubber layer to keep them warm, like seals and whales do. They depend on their fur and burning calories for warmth so they must eat at least a quarter of their body weight each day to keep that calorie count up. The Spotted Seals, check the *extra, were usually hauled out and lounging with their family groups on icebergs. It's seal 'pupping' time so we were careful not to 
get too close to the moms and little ones. It's not uncommon for mothers to abandon their young if they sense imminent danger.