Sea Otter Awareness Week Sep. 23, 2024

This week is Sea Otter Awareness Week, an event that draws attention to these fluffy floating mammals. 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.

© Gerald Corsi/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jellies in a world of their own
Sep. 23, 2023Nuit Blanche Toronto
Sep. 23, 2025Keel-billed toucan, Costa Rica

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr. 12, 2024Arches National Park, Utah, USA
Oct. 13, 2024Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain
Jul. 6, 2025Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park, United States
What the heck is a distaff?
Feb. 26, 2025Castle Stalker, Argyll, Scotland
Feb. 25, 2024Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island
Oct. 24, 2024Bodie State Historic Park, California, United States
Aug. 18, 2025Avalanche Lake Trail at Adirondack High Peaks, New York, United States
Chilling out on an ice floe
Dec. 30, 2023Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
Mar. 10, 2024Daylight Savings
Aug. 23, 2024Prasat Phanom Rung temple ruins, Thailand
Dec. 20, 2025Christmas star lanterns, Germany
Dec. 24, 2025Christmas Eve
In the tropics, land greets sea warmly
Im ready for my close-up, Mr. DeSquirrel
Apr. 2, 2025Sandstone formations in the badlands near Caineville, Utah, United States
Oct. 27, 2024Polar Bear Week
The ‘potato chip bird’
A temple to treasure
Dare to tread through the fairy flower?
Feb. 10, 2026Es Vedrà and Es Vedranell, Ibiza, Spain
The Big Apple with a foggy topping
Mar. 31, 2025Ostuni, Apulia, Italy
A painters palette of natures hues
Jun. 18, 2025Pollinator Week
Dec. 15, 2024Lake Misurina, Dolomites, Italy
Sep. 7, 2023Toronto International Film Festival
The sprout with amazing potential
May 8, 2024Marseille welcomes to Olympic torch