Endearingly awkward on land, Sea Otters are born in the water and spend nearly all their time there, floating in the northern Pacific kelp beds that shelter their favorite food: the purple sea urchin. Desire for their luxuriant fur nearly pushed them to extinction, but today they are protected around the world as a threatened species and widely recognized as beneficial to the coastal ecosystems they help balance. This calendar’s twelve photographs highlight their familiar mammalian traits—dutiful grooming, dedication to their offspring, and a somewhat precocious nature.