I see river otters a few times a year, but only when they are wandering. This week, I saw them at home.
Tracks across the ice, local piles of snow, and openings in the ice, all hinted at a haven for otters. Soon there was confirmation as heads poked through the ice; some otters lounged on top, others hunted in the open water.
The first otter spotted was sitting beside an opening in the ice and lazily looking around.
Although it eventually vanished down the hole, first there was time for a snooze with a forepaw in the ice water.
Elsewhere, a mother groomed her kit.
Best of all was a small group posing for what appears to be a family portrait. One kit has only half emerged.
Ten meters from this otter, a sign reads: This area contains historic [sic] mine wastes with elevated levels of arsenic, lead, and other metals; and may be a health hazard. The otter might ask, “Why?”
Very nice series Alistair. Hope you and your wife had a great Christmas.
I really enjoyed this post. Your photos are wonderful. We don’t get to see many river otters in our area. They are making inroads, and reports say they have been breeding in our local river, but we’ve only seen one in the past three years.
Awesome images, Alistair. A casually intimate peek into the lives of a remarkable species. Thank you for sharing these!
Thank you for the otter photos and your commentary. Happy New Year!
This is such an amazing find.
Travis, Derek Kite deserves most of the credit. He spotted a solitary otter in a nearby frozen pond the day before. So, I went looking and found the motherlode nearby.