Morro Bay, California

Sea otters like to tie up in "rafts" of kelp when they sleep or rest. The kelp helps them float and keeps them anchored so they don't have to worry about drifting away in the currents. It also provides them with a handy snack when they get hungry, which is almost always. As the smallest marine mammal in North America, they have a higher metabolic rate and less fat to protect them from the cold water than other sea mammals. This appeared to be a group of related otters who liked to hang out together near this kelp bed.