Watching Otters in The Highlands
Marcia O'Hara gives a few tips on how to catch a glimse of Otters on World Otter Day 2024
THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN with 10 days to go until the 29TH MAY when we will celebrate World Otter day, and what better way than to head to the coast and view these playful creatures.
We only have one species of Otter in the UK and that is the Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra), however the otters you see can be split up by two very different hunting styles.
Firstly we have the traditional freshwater otters that hunt in lochs and rivers and are mainly active in the early morning or late evening.
Then we have otters that hunt by the coast and are dependent on the tides in order to hunt, so may be seen at any time of day.
The west coast of Scotland and the Islands also have a much higher population of otters than in the rest of the UK. Therefore, to give yourself the best chance of seeing otters in the Highlands you are best to focus on the coast.
Seek out those rocky shorelines.
Not any old stretch of coastline will do if you’re an otter. Stop and scan around sheltered rocky stretches of coastline with lots of seaweed. When the tide is in this is where the fish that the otters are hunting will be hiding. Check any rocky outcrops amongst the water and kelp as otters will quite often haul out to feed and young may wait and play there while their mother hunts.
If there is nothing on the rocks look for an animal that is low in the water with a long body and a v-shaped wake. Although this may be harder to see if it’s not a calm day.
Check the tides
An incoming or outgoing tide is the best time to find otters hunting. They are land mammals so can’t spend a long time under water before coming up for a breath. This means that an extremely high tide might mean the water is too deep for them to successfully hunt their bottom dwelling prey. Conversely at low tide their prey will be out in deeper water and too hard to catch. This may vary a little bit depending on the topography of the coastline, in some areas there are shelves of rock that maintain a nice depth of water for otters to hunt in most of the time. It may be worth learning more about the structure of the coastline you are visiting in order to increase your chances of finding the best spot.
Be patient and keep a low profile
Of course, you may be lucky and see an otter instantly but more likely you will need to stop often and wait for a while before one bounds in to view. Stay as still and as quiet as you can because otters have quite good vision and a very good sense of smell on land. If you’re upwind of them, they will be able to smell you and will likely get spooked. There are some individuals that don’t seem to mind the presence of humans, but many are still very wary of humans and will disappear at the first hint of your presence. It’s important that we don’t disturb these charismatic and playful creatures so that we can enjoy them behaving completely naturally in their environment.
Happy Otter watching on the 29th May!
The High Life Highland Rangers also have an Otter event scheduled for World Otter Day - to ensure the quiet required for sightings these events are for adults only. No dogs on these walks please.
Here at High Life Highland Countryside Ranger service we aim to make our sessions as accessible as possible for anyone, and income should not be a barrier. This sessions price has been set to FREE. We ask for donations 💰 for this event to help with our costs and further our work, which goes towards education about and protection of the nature of the Highlands. Please give what you feel you can afford. 💚
Please be aware that there is a minimum donation of £1 required to book on via Eventbrite. This does not go to the Ranger Service but is to cover Eventbrite Fees.* 📝
Otter Watch with Marcia at North Kessock
Tickets, Wed, May 29, 2024 at 14:30 pm | Eventbrite
Join the Ranger for a walk along the shore at North Kessock to look out for otters in the Firth. We will discuss the life history of this amazing species and what you can to to help them in your area.
Interesting article thanks. It sounds obvious now you mention it but I'd never thought of looking for otter footprints at the shore!
I have paid a donation to the otter watch at birth Kessock but your site crashed when I tried to input my personal details, the money has gone from my bank. I shall be there