[Closed] Has anyone ever seen an otter in the wild?

LOL - there are otters in central Edinburgh . . .

Yup - saw one at the Waterfall of the little fawn near David Marshall Lodge at Aberfoyle. An "I don't believe I'm seeing this" moment!

I have seen otters in galloway and the highlands the way to increase your chances is to be out early 6amish obviously near water and keep quite although they are not as shy as people think .

Loads as a kid and as an adult.

Many times in a few parts of Scotland.

I have friend who lives in south Wales and there is an otter in the stream by their house.

Drac - Member

Loads as a kid and as an adult.

Tsk. Baby otters are called pups, not kids.

yes, in Scotland several times.

and in Canada but that doesn't really count I guess

Last year there was a pair of Otters playing around in the River Dunsop above Dunsop Bridge in the Forest of Bowland. They were by the United Utilities weir I stood and watched them for nearly 10 minutes trying not to make a sound until they stopped dead looked round and then shot up the bank into the woods. They must have smelt me mind as I was nearly finishing a 25 mile ride I am surprised they ddidnt smell me earlier.

My first and only sight of a live Otter, havent seen a live Badger either.

Yes there's a few in the beck in front of my house, Also seen one up in the north of Scotland.

I've seen a couple on the Tay and once watched 4 for hours over a few days in the Outer Hebrides. Magic.

Last time i saw one it was at glentress i think

lol

Seen a few beavers.......... 8)

Seen a couple in South Devon.

Also seen (and drunk) lots of these:

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I've also seen them in South Devon whilst canoeing on the River Dart.

I've also drunk a lot of Otter Ale but prefer this.......
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A couple off Jura and Islay

Meant to be a load around here (at Westhay on the Somerset Levels) but I keep forgetting to go look.

Yep, lots of times - I'm a scottish country boy (*well sometime ago).

Best one was after a meal at a restaurant in Orkney with some friends, we had drinks on the lawn, in the blazing sun, watching an otter lying on kelp, on his back, tucking in, only about 50ft away - luxury...

Lots as a kid, but then I did grow up in OTTERY St. Mary (SE Devon) and there were lots in the river Otter - no jokes.

Otters in an around Aberdeen

Laughs at the townie 🙄

Saw one a couple of years ago in a canal outside Reading..!

When I was cycle touring in Brittany a couple of years ago, mrs deadly made us stop because she saw an otter..."Nah," I said, "that's a bloody rabbit". But, no, she was right, it was an otter. Saw lots of buzzards up close too and a few red squirrels, which were lovely.

Never seen one,but have seen signs of them(tracks and slides)on the banks of the Severn,when I've been fishing.

I've seen one from the saddle and another from a hide, both on the Somerset Levels. Apparently they're fairly easy to spot from hides on the Levels (Shapwick Heath for example) if you take the time to go looking.

I have seen otters at Cenarth falls on the Teifi and below the lakes at Nant yr arian

Youlgreave near Bakewell, was a ride I'll never forget. We crossed an old bridge over a river, which has a large fishing pond on the other side.
Sitting there, were a young couple on their holidays. She said quick, there's an otter over there, I struggled to see, but was too late, it was gone.
They had been watching it for 10 minutes before we arrived.
Every time I pass that way, I've got my eyes peeled.

Favourites are red squirrels.

on the River Lugg north of Hereford about 5:30am adult with 2 kittens

otters in the tyne by me.. pretty cool wee dam building things.. anyone know how to train the wee buggers to build over boggy bits of single track instead? 😉

I haven't seen one,but I saw a video one of my neighbours took.It was of one in the river Taff about 1/2 mile from my house.The video was shot from the Taff trail close to Forest farm. Its that part were the river bends leaving a beach on the other side from the trail.The Otter was walking on the beach before swimming in the river.
Its not far from you Dan, best chance to see them/it is very early in the morning or late evening.

Desf- were to in south wales does your friend live ?

I just released 4 or 5 well greased otters into the wild

A rotter in the wild you say?

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I've seen otters in Kidwelly, on the Gwendraeth Fawr, spraint on the banks of the Afon Sawwde, nr Llangadog and they are regulars in the Cleddau in Haverfordwest I believe. And badgers are pretty common around here, but seemingly soon to be exterminated in Northern Pembrokeshire. Makes me weep.

Plenty of times on Mull - there is one that runs around the beach where my wife's folks live and you can often see them from the "main" road between Craignure and Fionnaphort (nr Pennygael is best). Also seen them on Harris and once on the Laraig Leacach track nr Spean Bridge. Never seen the local ones in Edinburgh though....

I've always seen them as fairly common to be honest. Now, Pine Martens - I've never seen one of those and would love to (to complete my I-spy book of "rare animals to be seen in Scotland 🙂 )

Thanks Colin I'll pop down one night.

We rode to Kidwelly and back from the house last year Ambrose, nice pub from what I remember. I've seen film of them under the road bridge in Porthmadog, I think there's some around the Teifi pools too.
Although there's quite a large rat at Clearddu these days!

I saw a couple in Somerfields t'other day. They were having an argument over salad.

The only wild otters I've ever seen was a pair in a lake in a park in the centre of Buenos Aires 8)
It seemed so unreal to see them completely relaxed and playing in the water, in what was a quite well cultivated park 8)

Several sea otters off Monterey, California, doing the whole cracking shells with their paws things. Brilliant. Would love to see wild otters over here.

Saw one at Fowlmere RSPB last year, came out of the water and had a wash and brush up on the bank (alas no camera)
Also saw one in the Great Ouse just below the weir at St Ives, put the fear of god in a Heron as it came ashore

We also had a resident seal a while back, frightened the life out of a mate when he was fishing, he said it looked like a black man's head popping up in the river

Apologies. I saw one in my local Indian, my fault, I asked for it to be a little hotter ......

In a similar vein: I've never seen a live badger, though sadly there are at least two flattened on the A68 at the moment. 🙁

Saw an otter on the River Dee in North Wales whilst kayaking last year, there was one of those moments where your brain tries to make sense of what you're seeing. It was on the river bank, ambling along in the sun and was an amzing natural sight to see.

I had a fantastic hour of otter watching, on the deserted coastline of Skye, between Glenbrittle and Coriust(sp?). The worst walk of my life, but the 2 otters that played in the rocks and seaweed 50 metres away from me for that hour made it all worthwhile.

You can sit on the balcony of the Watermans Arms in Pembroke and watch them swim past.
I've also seen them in the Bosherston Lily Ponds, middle of the day with 12 primary school kids in tow!

Loads of badgers too, I've a bad feeling about this north pembs cull...

I released a couple of otters into the stream this morning...