Stay Where I Can See You, Little Pup!

Photo by Ingrid Taylar, via IUCN SSC Otter Specialist Group; Ingrid Taylar writes:

Southern sea otter on a dive buoy/float in Monterey Bay. This mother otter hauled out on a dive buoy while her pup swam nearby. When the pup got too far away, she'd plunge into the bay, grab the little one, swim back to the float, then climb up and leave her pup to play alongside again.

She did this several times before the divers surfaced and took "her" float away. I'm not sure if they saw the otter on the float. She jumped off before they came up.

[Photographed from the shore, at a distance, w/long lens + 1.4x teleconverter]