Playtime with Wild Sea Otter Pup and Mother

Via Ingrid Taylar, who wrote:

Ethics statement: Photographed from the shore, from a respectful distance, w/tele lens, so as not to disturb the resting otters. [Sea Otter Savvy] has important otter viewing guidelines and great sea otter information.  

This pose was part of a playful interaction between mama and her pup, a beautiful thing to witness, with the caveat that I’m super aware of not creating any stress or disruption. Otters already expend huge amounts of energy just to stay warm, and mother otters use that much more to care for their pups. Any extra energy spent to evade or be on alert for humans is energy they can’t afford to spare.

A few mothers with pups were a good distance from shore, enjoying a respite from boat traffic during the time I shot this image.