Photo: Suzi Eszterhas/Minden/Solent
This beautiful picture, taken by nature photographer Suzi Eszterhas, shows a mother otter nestling her baby on her stomach.
While watching the pair off the coast of California, Suzi noticed the mother reach down and pull the youngster on to her belly for a rest. The mother then took the time to blow air into the baby's fur in order to dry it and keep the baby 'floatable'.
Prior to this, Suzi had watched as the mother otter left the baby on the surface, floating on his own, to go below the surface to hunt.
All baby otters come with a special coat of fur that helps them stay afloat while out of reach of their mother. However, few people realise that the babies cannot, in fact, swim on their own, and that their fur needs to be filled with air in order for them to float properly. As they can't swim on their own, and must be dried frequently, they therefore spend their early lives mostly resting on their mothers. It also keeps them safe from predators and allows the mother to sleep without fear of their baby floating away and getting lost.
"Sometimes she would swim to the dock and leave her puppy floating on the surface of the water right in front of me while she looked for food. She did this multiple times; she made me feel like a babysitter. She was adorable and it also showed how vulnerable and trustworthy wild animals can be."
Otters do not only keep hold of their babies this way, adults are also known to hold hands in order to prevent getting washed out to sea and stranded alone. They also often use their stomachs as little benches where they place oysters, clams and mussels, they then use a stone to break the shellfish open.
There are currently around 3,000 otters living off the coast of California, all of whom are descended from a group of 50 who entered the area around 80 years ago.
[h/t: Fascinating Things]
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