November, 2016 Salish Sea, Pacific Northwest
Lots of grey days this November.
One thing I can do to shake off some of the gloom is to get outside into nature, even if it’s windy and wet. The quiet clean-smelling air brings me back to earth and the natural world calms my mind. Sometimes I get lucky enough to cross paths with wildlife like the otters above which perks me right up. I hope a few otter moments might lighten your day too :)
Days are short now in the Pacific Northwest: it gets too dark to wander around outside by 5 pm now, especially when there’s a thick cloud cover. On this drizzly calm day last week it was already getting dark at 4 pm. In the monochromatic winter dusk often all you can see of wildlife is movement. That was the case when I stood on the high bank of a nearby bay: grey/brown shades of sea, sky, sand, driftwood, and…..otters!
Photo-story below > > >
At first I saw just one, swimming by below me. It exited the water onto the beach nearby and had a good shake. This guy was quite a big River Otter (Lontra canadensis), so I’m thinking likely an adult male. Otters are generally solitary in the Salish Sea except during breeding (in late winter/early spring) and family groups of a mom with her youngsters. There are lots of variations of social behavior throughout their range but this is what local researchers report about our area.
He climbed up and over the driftwood and squatted at the base of the steep bank for a few minutes, checking out the area.
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Mr Otter rambled along the driftwood, angling back toward the water. Suddenly he stopped and stared down the beach.
I never get to see otters swimming underwater, where they spend much of their time. They are fast and agile. When fishing they don’t stay underwater for more than a few minutes at a time but often I’ve seen otters dive and disappear from the bay altogether, covering a lot of distance unseen. Otters use their whole body to propel themselves, including their legs with those big webbed feet. Here’s a short video of two young rescue otters underwater I found at youtube.
After swimming all the way across the bay, this romp came ashore at the other end of the bay, shook themselves, and bounded up into the driftwood there, scouting the area before diving back into the water again.
That’s my latest otter encounter. They are so fun to watch, all that energy, intelligence and playfulness in a beautiful fur coat. An infusion of life and awareness of the moment. Hope you enjoyed them too!
Time for you to share what you’re seeing in your natural neighborhood . . .
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