by Jim M. Goldstein

Sea Otters are one of the more interesting wild animals in Northern California. From their playful interaction to their use of rocks as tools to eat their favorite food it’s hard to get enough of them. Photographed below is a wild Sea Otter in Monterey, California who kept his paws are on his ears while basking in the sun

Sea Otter fur is unique and the main reason they were hunted so aggressively in the past. They have the thickest fur of any animal with 850,000 to 1,000,000 hair follicles per inch! Their two coats, outer and under coat, traps air close to their body insulating them from the chilly ocean water. In this photo you can see the fur around the head freshly groomed and dryer than the rest of his body. What I find fascinating is the contrast between the look of the dry and wet fur in this photo. If you look at the stomach you’ll see the Otters reflection on his wet belly.

Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) wildilfe photo by Jim M. Goldstein
Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)

Learn more about Sea Otters via the Marine Mammal Center

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About Me

Jim M. Goldstein
Jim Goldstein is an independent photographer specializing in landscape, travel, environments, nature and event photography for advertising and editorial use.

A member of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), Jim produces the highest quality photography for both commercial clients and fine art photography collectors. Jim's photography has been featured in the Washington Post, Sierra Club, Future Snowboarding magazine, Surfmag.com, SFGate.com, and a variety of other publications