Otters frolic

I don’t often see river otters; indeed the last one was well over a year ago. However a family of otters visited yesterday morning and spent a half hour on a nearby dock. There were two parents and two pups. Come spring, the pups will go off on their own as adults.

The first three pictures I show were taken near the end of the visit. This order enables me to make a point that explains some of the rest of the pictures.

A few times, the otters looked in the general direction of the photographers who were spread along the beach. But, the otters seemed uncertain about what they were, where they were, and indeed if they posed a threat. I think the otters are left to right: mother, pup, father, pup. Photo Dorothy Fraser.

After playing and preening for a half hour, they began to leave. Photo Cynthia Fraser.

One otter (the father?) came along the ramp towards the shore to have a closer look at the people. It turns out that otters are near-sighted, which is a consequence of their vision being adapted for underwater seeing. So, otters often need to come close for a good look.

The otter family spent most of its time preening themselves and others, but often the father watched the surroundings.

On one occasion one of the otters wandered away from the others and defecated. The otter then came back to the group. The dung of an otter is called a spraint.

Here three of them are interacting, but one is looking out, but unable to see things sharply in the distance.

Yet, they knew that there was something on the adjacent beach.

The family poses.