Aside from the zoo, one of the majesties of nature is that we don’t get to choose when it presents its splendour. Still, these cellphone snaps of a prowling sea otter are reminder enough of our beautiful blue Earth.

A part of the weasel family, these cute clappers present a playful face to aquarium-goers but can be vicious to the shellfish and other marine animals they eat. And do they eat–a sea otter will eat 25% of its body weight in a day.

Sea otters nearly went extinct in the early 20th century, when their population of several hundred thousand to a million was hunted down for their furs. According to the Defenders of Wildlife, “Sea otters finally gained protections with the signing of the International Fur Seal Treaty of 1911, and became listed under the Marine Mammal Protection and Endangered Species Acts in the 1970s. Worldwide, numbers have slowly recovered but still stand far below original population numbers. While sea otters are vulnerable to natural predators, their populations are significantly impacted by several human factors as well.”

Thanks to the volunteers who sent us these photos!