The day after the party dawned dark and gloomy, but brightened by the time we were to return to Homer on the Danny J.

While the morning was still pretty dim, and we were on our first cups of coffee, we were entertained by four otters near the Boat House dock.  It seemed to be a family, likely a mother and three mature pups, apparently triplets who appeared identical in size and behaviour.   It was dark and gloomy enough that quality photos were a challenge.  The family was intent on foraging at the water's edge, gnawing on what might have been tubes of kelp, and moving in and out of the water on the rocky shore on a very low tide.  

We all have preconceptions about how otters usually look: They float on their backs with crab or shellfish hors d'oeuvres laid out on their glossy chests, looking cute, bewhiskered, a little myopic, like they need glasses, somewhat comic or perplexed.  They seem a little like what a moustached Theodore Roosevelt might have looked like floating on his back in a New England pond, without his steel-rimmed spectacles.  

Typical cute sea otter (Homer Harbor, 2016)

But these four visitors didn't look very cute.  They were very serious and purposeful.  Some aspects were particularly interesting (especially when I could process and crop the images on a big screen): their impressive fangs, bulging musculature, broad webbed feet with big claws, and powerful tails that make the tail of a trophy Labrador look wimpy by comparison.  Collective nouns for otters include "bevy," "romp," "family," and "raft" (in the water).  But this bunch seemed more a gang, cruising, and bruising, Hells Angels of the Sea.  They also made some serious wakes.

Family of four cruises in.

The three sibs, awaiting developments while mom is onshore

Sibs circle

Mom and one sib emerge; the second sib is waiting for the third.

The four on the beach

Re-entry

There are serious hydrodynamics at work.

And serious fangs

And serious feet

Wakes and fangs on display

Wide, powerful hips and tails

It was an impressive show.

August 29 edit:  As Suzanne noted, these don't look much like sea otters, cuteness issues aside.  The powerful tails and wide hips are nearly determinative:  They probably are river (land) otters.  I sent the link to ADF&G inquiring, but haven't heard back yet.  Here is the Wikipedia link for North American river otters.  It makes interesting reading.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_river_otter

Here, by the way, is a direct link to the gallery showing more images from the weekend: http://bobeastaughimagery.zenfolio.com/p127234732