Otterly Wild : River Otters
Otterly Wild : River Otters
Otters are playful, curious, and often make delightful photo subjects. I’ll never forget watching one effortlessly dive and twirl underwater, playfully batting at a stick like a child with a new toy. My husband and I stood mesmerized, caught up in its joyful antics. But then, there are those days when they disappear faster than you can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious—a frustrating reality for wildlife photographers. So how can you increase your chances of photographing river otters? It all starts with understanding them.
Play Time (River Otter)This river otter was putting on a show for me.
"Play Time" (River Otter)
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Mustelidae Family
River otters (Lontra canadensis) are members of the Mustelidae family, which also includes badgers, weasels (or ermine), minks, fishers, ferrets, skunks and wolverines. Despite their varied sizes and habitats, mustelids share several common traits—they are typically small, with long, slender bodies, short legs, and dense fur. Renowned for their hunting skills, these agile predators can even take down prey larger than themselves.
Slip and Slide (Rive Otter)From a recent river otter encounter less than ten miles from my house.
"Slip and Slide" (River Otter)
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Where and When to Spot Them
River otters, unlike their sea otter cousins who spend nearly their entire lives in the ocean, thrive in both freshwater and on land. They inhabit rivers, lakes, marshes, and coastal estuaries, often drawn to areas with abundant fisheries. These rich waters create ideal habitats, which is why many anglers have a story or two about unexpected otter encounters. The best time to observe them is at dawn or dusk when they are most active.
Spotted YouIf an otter does not want to be seen, it will go out of its way to stay mostly hidden while still keeping an eye on you.
Otters at Play
What's on the Menu?
As opportunistic carnivores, river otters have a diverse diet. Their meals mainly consist of fish, but do not be surprised if you see one chowing down on an amphibian, crayfish, mollusk, or even a small mammal.
A Favorite Meal (River Otter)Fish is a the ultimate meal for an otter. I spotted this one with a fresh catch several years ago when taking a short morning walk along a small creek near where we were camped.
Crayfish Delight (River Otter)Confirmed by photos, river otters will eat crayfish. Always fun to be able to document what I research about a species.
What is on the menu? Their diet is more varied than many realize.
How Far Can They Travel?
River otters are built for movement. In the water, they can travel impressive distances in a single day, covering more than 15 miles utilizing the powerful tails and webbed feet to propel them. On land, their range is smaller, but they are still capable of covering up to 5 miles in a single day, often moving between different water systems in search of food or suitable den sites.
Dens and Borrowed Homes
Rather than constructing their own dens, river otters are known for re-purposing abandoned burrows left behind by beavers or muskrats. A hollow log, undercut riverbanks, and dense vegetation also makes great shelter areas along many waterways. Some otters utilize multiple dens throughout their range, ensuring they always have a safe place to rest or raise their young.
Watching Otters
Few wildlife encounters are as entertaining as watching river otters at play. Their playful nature means they’re often engaged in sliding down muddy banks, wrestling with one another, or hunting beneath the water’s surface. In the winter, they use ice-covered waterways like natural playgrounds, slipping and sliding across the ice with ease in search of open water to fish.
Otter SlideWhile on the search for river otters, my husband Scot and I found evidence of activity in the snow with the identifiable slide feature of an otter.
Otter Stories
Because he spends so much of his time on the water fishing, my husband Scot has seen a lot of otters over his life. His first encounter was memorable not just because seeing an otter was so cool, but it came quite close to him and was very playful. He was probably 15 at the time, and was standing on a dock at a small pond in the Adirondack mountains of New York. The otter just popped up about 10 feet from where he was standing, looking right at him. The otter proceeded to do a number of somersaults and barrel rolls, always coming back up to look at him with an expression that almost seemed to beg “c’mon, let’s play!” Then just as quickly as it appeared, it dove back underwater and disappeared. That is another trait I have noticed with otters. When they decide the encounter is over, they dive underwater, and seem to just simply vanish. They can swim tremendous distances underwater, so when they are ready to make their exit, they can just simply swim far enough underwater that you don’t see them again.
Another time he was fishing with a friend from a canoe in Maine. Four otters suddenly showed up, a mom with three little ones. The babies were super curious, and kept swimming up to the canoe and raising themselves as far up out of the water as they could to get a better look at what or who was in the canoe. The mom eventually tired of the game, and once she gave out a sharp chirp, the little ones swam back to her, and the four of them disappeared underwater, never to be seen again.
Do you have a river otter story you would like to share? Leave you story in the comments.
Lea Frye - Wildlife photographer
www.leaf-images.com | Lea Frye, Wildlife Photographer | Helena, MT
Wild Animals / Wild Landscapes