Otter Moms Are Right to Complain, They Do Everything 😤 America's Wild Seasons | Smithsonian Channel

The northern sea otter thrives in Prince William Sound on the warmer south coast. Here, the waters never get cold enough to freeze over. But even in May, there's still a chilly 40 degrees. It's not exactly a warm and cushy nursery for the colony's most recent arrivals. A handful of newborns. These three-week-old pups are helpless, unable to swim or stay warm on their own. They won't survive without their devoted mothers, who care for the babies single-handedly. Fathers play no part in raising their young. In this protective cove, the retreating tide exposes a small island. The mothers seize the opportunity to turn it into an otter spa. Grooming their pups traps air in their fur, which keeps them buoyant, and insulates them from the cold. With their pups cleaned and fluffed, the doting mothers return to the sea. It's time to catch dinner. This is the riskiest part of an otter mother's routine. She has to leave her pup unattended. While she hunts for fish, her pup floats like a cork. At this age, he's vulnerable, unable to swim or dive to escape predators. Bald eagles will add otter pup to their diet if they get the chance. This pup's not up for grabs. She'll care for him round the clock for another six months, until her pup is weaned and can fend for himself. And only then can one of nature's hardest-working mothers take a break.