Otterly adorable

Photographer John Vargas

 A loving pair of otters were captured snoozing while holding hands to stop them floating apart in their slumber. The male and female, named Nellie and Abra, were cuddling up on their waterbed after a playful morning together. And despite the water's chilly temperature, the otters were in no danger of catching a cold as their fur is one of the densest in the animal kingdom - with up to a million hairs per square inch. Otters are known to hold hands in groups - called a raft - while they eat, sleep and rest, to prevent families losing each other. The furry animals, the largest member of the weasel family, are even known to wrap sea plants around them to secure the bond.
These photographs were captured at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington.