July 3, 2004

What strange creature is this, that has come to visit our local harbor seals? This surprise visit took place at the seals' regular haul-out beach on the north-west side of Moss Landing Harbor.

By golly, it's a sea otter. And the visitor has the audacity to plop down among the seals as if it belongs there. While it is unusual for our sea otters to haul out, it does happen. The northern population of sea otters, in Alaskan waters, are known to haul out much more frequently than do their southern cousins.