Surprisingly, sea otters are larger than they may appear. Most often one sees their cute, whiskered faces peering from the water as they playfully groom or feed on shellfish. But when they are viewed completely out of the water, as in this photo of otters on a floating iceberg, their size is considerable. A mature animal can weigh up to 90 pounds, and they sport one of the finest coats of fur in the animal kingdom. Some sea otters in Western Prince William sound have grown familiar with motor vessels, and are therefore fairly tolerant to a close approach—that is, as long as you don’t stop. These two were photographed just after the sun went behind the mountains, and therefore the flat but rather balanced light.
Sea otters on floating iceberg, Harriman Fjord, Prince William Sound, Alaska. Canon 1Ds Mark III, 500mm f4 IS, w/1.4x (700mm), 1/500 sec @ f5.6, ISO 800, hand held.
