Why do sea otters hold hands?

Answer: Prevents drift while sleeping

Cleaning each other's fur — Wrong. Sea otters don't groom each other while holding hands—they groom themselves. Hand-holding is specifically to prevent drifting apart while sleeping.

Prevents drift while sleeping ✓ — Correct! Rafting behavior! Sea otters hold hands (paws) to stay together while sleeping/resting on water surface. Challenges: ocean currents can separate individuals. Solution: form 'rafts' (groups)—interlock paws or wrap in kelp. Benefits: (1) Stay with social group. (2) Safety in numbers (predator vigilance). (3) Find each other when waking. Also wrap in kelp as anchor. Mothers hold pups. Raft size: few to hundreds. Adorable survival strategy! Float on backs—air trapped in dense fur provides buoyancy.

Sharing body warmth together — Wrong. Otters have dense fur for warmth, but hand-holding primarily prevents drifting apart during sleep, not heat sharing.