Sea otter, Alaska, USA Sep 23, 2024

The otter featured in today"s image was photographed in Prince William Sound, Alaska, United States. Sea otters are native to the northern and eastern coasts of the North Pacific Ocean. Weighing 14 to 45 kilograms, they"re expert foragers, diving to the seabed to find food. These clever critters are smart as well as cute: they use rocks to crack open shellfish, making them one of the few animals that use tools. There used to be as many as 300,000 in the wild, but they were heavily hunted for almost two centuries, as their dense fur was highly prized. By 1911, it is thought that only around 2,000 were left. Thankfully, an international hunting ban, conservation efforts, and reintroduction programs have helped them rebound, and they are now found in about two-thirds of their historic habitat. So, whenever you see their fuzzy heads bobbing in the waves, remember, you"re witnessing a story of nature"s triumph.

© Gerald Corsi/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Sep 23, 2023Coyote Gulch, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah, USA
Sep 23, 2025Keel-billed toucan, Costa Rica

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 26, 2024Pont Neuf over the Seine, Paris, France
Nov 27, 2023Río Negro, Amazon basin, Brazil
Apr 30, 2025Iguazu Falls seen from Paraná, Brazil
Jun 3, 2024Bicycles in Copenhagen, Denmark
Dec 15, 2023SantaPark, Lapland, Finland
Jul 5, 2024Daintree Rainforest and Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia
Sep 21, 2024Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany
May 27, 2024Baia del Silenzio in Sestri Levante, Italy
Jan 14, 2025Village of Zahara de la Sierra, Cadiz, Spain
Oct 24, 2024Bodie State Historic Park, California, United States
Dec 19, 2025Bormio, Lombardy, Italy
Oct 10, 2024Ancient town of Sorano, Tuscany, Italy
May 9, 2024Tulips at Emirgan Park in Istanbul, Türkiye
Apr 17, 2025Andean cocks-of-the-rock, Ecuador
Nov 9, 2024Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
Feb 28, 2024Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland, England
Apr 15, 2024Château de Chambord, France
Jun 21, 2024Reticulated giraffes
Sep 16, 2024Wallabies at sunrise, Australia
Jan 30, 2025Rolands Breach, Spain
Aug 3, 2024Three Natural Bridges, Wulong National Park, China
Dec 28, 2024Green sea turtle, New Caledonia
Apr 22, 2025Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
Feb 17, 2025Coll dAres, Catalan Pyrenees
Aug 5, 2024Lavender field, Hertfordshire, England
Aug 12, 2025African elephants
Apr 9, 2024Tulip fields in spring, Skagit Valley, Washington, USA
Jun 11, 2025Greater flamingos
Mar 3, 2024Leopard in a tree, Kruger National Park, South Africa
May 24, 2025Jotunheimen National Park in Norway