Sea Otter Grooming, Elkhorn Slough, California
The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) has the densest fur of any animal and must frequently groom its fur in order to keep warm in the chilly waters of the Pacific Ocean. Sea otters spend most of their life in the ocean-feeding, resting, mating, and giving birth-only occasionally hauling out on land to rest. The Elkhorn Slough is one of the best places to observe sea otters in California.