Sea otters used to be called "soft gold" for the value of their pelts. Up to one million hairs per square inch give them the richest pelage of any animal on the planet! This of course drew the attention of fur hunters, and between the mid 1700s until the early 1900s sea otters were hunted to the very brink of extinction by Russians, British and Americans. The sea otter population of Southeast Alaska was completely wiped out. Otters were reintroduced to the region between 1965 and 1972, and today have rebounded with astounding success, especially in Glacier Bay. Otters continue to push into more and more remote areas, and are even seen basking atop floating ice near glaciers! This mother and pup were sighted near one of the locations otters were released almost 50 years ago, a living legacy of wildlife conservation. Photographer: Emily Mount