Places to rest

A couple of days ago I had another really lucky encounter with River Otters (Lontra canadensis).  Fortunately, I had a large zoom lens on my camera and I was pretty far away in a position where the otters couldn't see me.  These are my favorite situations, when you can observe animals' natural behavior without disturbing them.  

I cropped the photos afterwards and put together a short series of highlights.  The entire observation period was ~50 minutes total.  I'm very grateful for this special glimpse into the life of River Otters.  I hope you enjoy learning about them, too!

A mother and two pups rolling in the gritty sand along the edge of a coastal bluff (perhaps to help dry off?):

 

Taking a nap together in the sun: 

 

Waking up and preparing for another adventure: 

 

Waiting for mom to scope out the scene:

 

Following the rocks down to the water: 

 

Going for a swim:

 

 

Not a bad way to spend part of an afternoon!  These observations made me think more about how River Otters might use coastal bluffs and protected channels and pools and made me feel happy that they can find quiet places to rest.