Otters eat clams, mussels, sea urchins, abalone, oysters, squid, crab and other small marine species. They need to eat 25 to 30% of their body weight in food each day! If you watch them for any length of time, you see they are always in motion if they aren’t sleeping.
Animals
8
Jun 15
Moss Landing Southern Sea Otters–05
4
May 15
Moss Landing Southern Sea Otters–04
The sea otters were hunted nearly to extinction by the 1900s. By the time the International Fur Seal Treaty banned hunting of fur seals and sea otters in 1911, there were less than 2000 otters left. The Endangered Species Act listed southern sea otters as “threatened” in 1977. The Moss Landing harbor area and the adjacent Elkhorn Slough host about 5% of California’s population of southern sea otters.
27
Apr 15
Moss Landing Southern Sea Otters–03
One or two “rafts” of otters can be seen nearly every day near a cove at the end of Jetty Road at the sand dunes of Moss landing State Beach. A “raft” is a group of otters floating side-by-side. They often sleep wrapped in stands of kelp so they won’t drift too far from one another. These photographs, however, were taken at the harbor close to the intersection of Jetty Road and Highway 1.
20
Apr 15
Moss Landing Southern Sea Otters–02
All of these photographs of otters were taken with an old 500 mm f/8 mirror reflex lens. It is a manual focus lens and very hard to control. The depth of field is narrow and I can only hold it steady with a tripod. The otters are often rolling or diving so it is rare to get a shot in focus. Sometimes, though, when they are feeding, a successful shot happens.
13
Apr 15
Moss Landing Southern Sea Otters
I noticed several shots of southern sea otters as I reviewed my images from 2014. I thought they might make a short series. Otters are popular and seem to be the signature animal for the Monterey Bay area. Their photos are widely used in local advertising. The next few posts will feature shots of otters taken at the Moss Landing harbor.
4
Nov 13
San Francisco Zoo–Chilean Flamingo
There is a large group of flamingos across from the Zoo’s Leaping Lemur Cafe. Their long graceful necks and the color and texture of their plumage make them fun to photograph. This is one of my favorite shots from the zoo trip.
28
Oct 13
San Francisco Zoo–Harris’s Hawk
Harris’ Hawks are widespread from the southwestern United States through Central America and much of the drier habitats of South America. They are social birds and hunt cooperatively with other family members. Their group hunting style makes them popular in the sport of falconry.
21
Oct 13
San Francisco Zoo–Barn Owl 2
The attendant for this owl told me that it was neurologically damaged and unable to live on its own in the wild. It had West Nile Virus which affected its balance.
14
Oct 13
San Francisco Zoo–Barn Owl
The Barn Owl hunts by sound using its acute hearing. They are found in many countries and are not considered endangered or threatened. I have never seen one in the wild and was struck by the elegant beauty.
7
Oct 13
San Francisco Zoo–Waldrapp Ibis
The Waldrapp Ibis is found in the San Francisco Zoo’s African Aviary. The Waldrapp is one of the most endangered avian species. There are perhaps 420 left in the wild and about 1,100 in captivity. It has been successfully bred in captivity and released back into the wild.