River otters are so much fun to watch – playfully slipping and sliding across the snow and diving into the water to fish. We’ve been super fortunate lately to have extended viewing time with a group of 3 otters in the Lamar Valley. In the video below you can watch two of them fishing, and then rolling around in the snow grooming. As they dive, their ears and nostrils close, and a third eyelid – called a nictitating membrane – closes over their eyes so they can see underwater. Their super sensitive whiskers help them catch fish and small river creatures. Back on land, they roll in the snow to dry off and groom their coats – which have a thick water-repellent outer layer and soft, warm layer underneath. These otters kept both of us quite busy for almost two hours – Jenny taking photos and video and George sketching (see his sketches to the left and below). We hope you enjoy them as much as we did.
