Sea otter with pup, Prince William Sound, Alaska
© AlaskaStock/Masterfile
Sea otter with pup, Prince William Sound, Alaska
This sea otter pup looks content to be cuddling with its mama in the chilly waters of Prince William Sound, here in the Gulf of Alaska. As mothers go, otters are of the devoted sort. They’re known to shower their pups with attention, cradling them and grooming them for hours. But the grooming is more than a gesture of affection—a mom will rub her pup to fluff the pup’s fur, 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. Considering all this hugging and cuddling, we think the sea otter makes a fine mascot for National Cuddle Up Day, celebrated January 6.
Related Images
Southern cassowary father with chicks, Kuranda, Queensland, Australia
Elephant walking in the Okavango River, Botswana
An indigo bunting at the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove in Audubon, Pennsylvania
Scarlet macaw in Costa Rica
A Burchell's zebra and a cattle egret at the Rietvlei Nature Reserve in South Africa
Burrowing owl chicks gaze out from among flowers near the Pawnee National Grassland in Colorado
Mandarin duck hen with ducklings in South Korea
Mute swan chicks shelter under mom's tail feathers, Massapequa Preserve, Long Island, New York
Today on Bing
Crater Lake in Oregon
Jan 06, 2021
Trakai Island Castle Museum in Trakai, Lithuania
Jan 06, 2020
The Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in China
Jan 06, 2019
Karaweik Palace on Kandawgyi Lake, Yangon, Myanmar
Jan 06, 2017
Dew on the leaf of a smoke tree
Jan 06, 2016
