Sea otter, Alaska, USA Sep 23, 2024

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. By 1911, it is thought that only around 2,000 were left. Thankfully, an international hunting ban, conservation efforts, and reintroduction programs have helped them rebound, and they are now found in about two-thirds of their historic habitat. So, whenever you see their fuzzy heads bobbing in the waves, remember, you"re witnessing a story of nature"s triumph.

© Gerald Corsi/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Sep 23, 2023Coyote Gulch, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah, USA
Sep 23, 2025Keel-billed toucan, Costa Rica

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct 15, 2025Amethyst laccaria mushrooms, Seabeck, Washington, United States
Nov 9, 2024Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
Jun 3, 2025Bicycles on a bridge in Utrecht, Netherlands
Oct 28, 2024Pumpkin field, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Jun 30, 2024Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Dec 24, 2024Half-timbered Houses of Freudenberg, Germany
Mar 31, 2025Ostuni, Apulia, Italy
Apr 15, 2024Château de Chambord, France
Sep 26, 2024Blue-throated toucanet, Costa Rica
Dec 16, 2024Salzburg, Austria
May 28, 2025Sea otter
May 23, 2025Yellow-spotted river turtle, Amazon Region, Ecuador
Nov 6, 2025Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, Lamphun, Thailand
Jun 13, 2025Vila Franca Islet, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
Jan 13, 2025Cottage and Tŵr Mawr lighthouse, Ynys Llanddwyn, Wales, United Kingdom
Mar 14, 2024Wat Phra Ngam, Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand
Jan 2, 2025Ardez village, Graubunden, Switzerland
Jan 21, 2026Eurasian red squirrel
Nov 5, 2024Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil
Dec 3, 2023Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona, USA
Aug 5, 2025Tide pools in La Jolla, California, United States
Dec 5, 2025Maya site of Copán, Honduras
Sep 16, 2025Nighttime view over the Gulf Coast
Dec 10, 2025Castle of Rocca Calascio, Italy
Jan 3, 2024Lake Minnewanka, Alberta, Canada
Apr 6, 2024Himeji Castle, Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
Mar 15, 2025The Temple of Saturn, Rome, Italy
Nov 11, 2023Val di Funes, South Tyrol, Italy
May 5, 2025Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada
Oct 22, 2023Astoria-Megler Bridge, Oregon, USA