I’ve some experience of watching wild otters in Ireland where, at Rosscarbery in West Cork, they frequent a location with a brackish water lagoon separated from a drowned river estuary by a causeway along which runs the main N71 trunk road. The causeway is breached by a road bridge/tunnel which the otters use to pass between the two sides. This is no more that 30 yards from a busy hotel and less than 10 yards from a seat which is a brilliant point to observe them. This is a busier location than even at the Leri bridge with both frequent road traffic and footfall. The extent of otter activity is given away by a very large number of sprainting points and favourite feeding rocks covered by piles of discarded crab shells and other remains.
They are seen frequently, most often at dawn or dusk when they are at their most bold, but also frequently at other times of the day when, whilst you cannot take liberties with them, they appear quite oblivious to human activity. I have seen family parties and lone otters at this location on a number of occasions and have been honoured to be able to observe them for often hours at a time. On one notable occasion, albeit just after dawn, I followed one dog otter as he swan across the lagoon and under a boating pontoon. As I stood on the pontoon no more than five feet away he stood his ground from beneath the pontoon staging and we spent at least ten minutes in a standoff with me watching him, speaking to him softly and him quietly barking his defiance. It was me that gave up in the end!
I am not at all surprised that the Leri otters are behaving without obvious fear of humans. If they are like the Irish otters they are just not interested in us unless directly threatened.
One aspect of their behaviour that I’ve thought about is the degree to which their activity is “tidal”. In Ireland I’m pretty sure that it is. My feeling in retrospect is that they are most active from mid to low water and back again. I’m no longer able to verify this in Ireland as sadly I no longer have the opportunity to visit. I have given it some thought, however, and from recollection I’m pretty sure that most observations were “tidally” as suggested. I suppose it makes sense that they do not see the point in unnecessarily diving through a deeper column of water closer to high tides. I’d be interested if anyone can throw any light on the Leri otters’ behaviour in this regard.
They are undoubtedly fascinating creatures.
Roger Watkins
