A Seal, an Otter and a Sandwich
Donald recounts an his lunchtime experience of otters at the estuary
I pulled off the road to enjoy my lunch at a scenic spot by the river Laxford estuary, the tide had just turned and was on the ebb, the sun shone, and the day was good. I switched off the engine and picked up my piece [for those not familiar with scottish slang “a piece” can mean a sandwich] and took in the view by the pier and boathouse, looking out to sea.
Odd! I rapidly put down the piece and picked up my ever-ready binoculars. I could see two heads just out from the boathouse swimming shoreward. The lead was smaller than the one following, the one behind was fairly large – a seal I reconned, but the smaller one? A seal pup? No, the mothers had long since abandoned their bairns, leaving them to fend for themselves, it wasn’t a pup.
Then as a little hump appeared behind the leading head I realised that it was an otter being pursued by the seal, the appearance of the pointed tip of a tail confirmed it.
What was going on? Surely the seal would rapidly catch up, it was much larger and about three times as fast but it really looked as if the seal was deliberately holding it’s distance. The otter made it safely to the shore, rapidly bounding a short distance up the rocks, then stopped and turned to look at the seal which had also stopped.
The otter quite calmly gave itself a shake, rolled in the seaweed then made off along the shoreline, closely followed by the seal keeping pace with it from the river. I kept them in view for about five minutes until they disappeared behind a rocky outcrop. Wow!
I remembered my sandwich, switched the radio on for the news and looked out to sea, America was across there – had President Trump ever seen an otter – or a seal? I suppose he may have seen seals cavorting in the sea off his Aberdeenshire golf course. Wait! A movement on the river caught my eye, the otter was back, about twenty-five metres away, diving and coming up with something, eating whatever it was and going down again.
This occurred at least twelve times, with thirty-second dives. I could not make out what it caught, until something longer appeared, possibly a butterfish or even an eel. It certainly took longer for it to eat.
There was no sign of the seal. I wondered aloud how often seals and otters interact.
In Shetland a drone espied a seal trailing an otter for a while to no avail. I have also read of sea otters and seal pups coming together on the Californian coast, but not in a good way. There was an account [with photographs] of a tabby cat approaching three otters playing on a riverbank then following them downstream but the otters were not interested.
It is however interesting to speculate how unfamiliar species might react when coming together, this was a three-way contact, if I include myself.
We are all in it together, there is room for us all, we must try to make sure that it stays that way.
Donald Mitchell is a High Life Highland Countryside Ranger, a keen observer of nature and wildlife, he dedicates his time to documenting and sharing insights about the natural habitats in North West Sutherland. With a particular interest in marine life, he aims to help others gain a deeper understanding and respect for the delicate balance of our ecosystem.
The Life of Highland Otters
📢 Join us for an online talk: The Life of Highland Otters! 🦦
📅 Monday, March 24
⏰ 6:30 – 7:30 pm GMT
📍 Online via Microsoft Teams
Ever wondered what life is like for a Highland otter? 🦦💦 Join Ranger Jenny Grant for an illustrated journey through the seasons, discovering how these elusive mammals hunt, play, and survive from spring to winter.
👉 Book your spot now!
We ask for donations for this event to help with our work, which goes towards education about and protection of the nature of the Highlands. Please give what you feel you can afford.
🐾 Don’t miss this chance to learn about these incredible creatures!