This is a shot of the same sea otter taken two weeks later. It has the same discoloration or raw place on its nose. It seemed to be enjoying the warmth of the sun. Although the otters are a common sight in the Moss Landing area, there are fewer than 3000 along the entire California coast. They remain an endangered species.
Tags: Moss Landing, Otter
Nice shot Gary! This is a female. The male otters clamp down on the female’s nose and lots of times bit off the tip during mating. This is a very common way to differentiate males from females in the wild. If the nose is raw like this, or has lots of scar tissue built up- typically it is a girl. Not the nicest of thoughts- but i hope it helps. If you would like more information visit our website- http://www.otterproject.org, our blog Sea Otter Scoop, our facebook cause, page, or group- as well as twitter. Thanks!