A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Enhydra lutris
I think this is a Sea Otter, but please correct me if I'm wrong. I spotted this chap feeding (though I can't identify the food, he'd already mangled it up pretty well) just off the coast at Stanley Park, Vancouver pretty much underneath Lions Gate Bridge. Interestingly, I took a vast array of photos of the otter, and in every one his eyes appear to be closed. Can anyone tell me if this is common behaviour in these otters or whether this otter may be blind?
Hi Andy! This adorable guy is actually a river otter. Sea otters have extremely dense fur and silvery-white heads, and usually float on their backs to eat their prey. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_otter River otters are actually found along the coast as well as in rivers.
I can't tell what the food is either, though I don't think it's a fish. Interesting observation about the closed eyes - I don't know if that's normal, but in a similar spotting of a river otter feeding just south of you, the otter seems to have his eyes open even when he's eating... http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/101... Great spotting!
I'm from NZ myself, Megs and mammals are a rarity in general here so have no idea about how they behave in the wild. I was in Canada hoping to spot a few interesting birds, but instead saw Otters, Raccoons and Squirrels galore!
He's a lovely fellow! There are no otters in Australia, apart from captive, so my knowledge is limited!! I hope is eyes are ok, he managed to catch whatever he's eating.
Spotted on Jun 17, 2012
Submitted on Jun 17, 2012
