One of the greatest wildlife watching days to date occurred today in the beautiful setting of the Laune river, co Kerry. It was the day when I witnessed my first wild otter in Ireland. The beautiful sunshine and lack of fish had led me to a quiet moment on the bank in my deck chair. Suddenly my eyes caught the movement of a wake of water heading across the Laune. Grabbing my glasses I managed to catch a glimpse of a sleek back sliding out into the bank. Like that the otter was gone. I couldent believe my eyes. I doubted what I had just seen as trick of the new spring sunlight I dropped the fishing gear and scoped out the bank and was able to discern a couple what I think were otter access points in the far bank. I decided to investigate at closer quarters. Heading back over the bridge I entered the fossa way and was walking with purpose along the man made walkway when there was a disturbance in the water beside me. To my disbelief there was an otter who I had inadvertently disturbed from fishing amongst the tangle of flooded branches. The otter swam out of the channel lopping up and down and blowing out those distinctive bubbles that I had heard about on spring watch and read about in books. I manage to fumble some photos before the supine shape disappeared from sight. Exhilarated I searched the water to no avail. Had I seen the last if the otter? To see an otter in broad daylight is rare and I felt immensely privelage do to witness this. I crossed at the bridge and following a hunch that only nature lovers will understand, I walked back up to the spot that on the previous day I had found old otter spraint. Suddenly a splashing broke the silken silence if the stream. In the distance and otter was attacking a large fish which I presume must be a salmon. The thrashing and bashing went on for about a minute. Tail and head flew in and out of the water. Eventually all went silent. The otter had a substantial feast and I had an equal feast of nature that can be said to be once in a lifetime event. Wondrous.
13 Comments
Shane Redmond
24/5/2016 11:59:09 am
Dead otter on side of motor way beside Ashbourne
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CaoimhĂn
10/11/2016 11:29:38 pm
Mature otter found washed up on Tullan Strand, Bundoran, County Donegal this morning 10/11/16. Otters can be found on the Bradoge, Drowes and Erne rivers in the south Donegal area as well as in Lough Erne.
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9/4/2017 04:39:12 pm
Ther is a otter in Dundalk I got a video and put it up on YouTube it call otter with Fish in dundalk
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John O'Sullivan
11/2/2019 06:59:21 pm
I was walking over a railway foot bridge in wicklow town around six in the evening, there were two otters playing in the water
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Mary Anderson
21/5/2020 02:13:03 pm
Dead otter on road half way between Kilross and Stranorlar in Co.Donegal.
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John Lannin
7/11/2020 03:48:46 pm
Pair of otters at Spanish Cove Goleen today 7/11/20
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Lynne Deakin
19/12/2020 09:33:30 am
Otter playing around in Barleycove full tide today, in stream by dunes
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Stephen
19/12/2020 10:00:09 am
Amazing! I know this part country well. Am amazed at this! of the
John McNeilly
8/3/2021 06:31:51 pm
Saw an otter this afternoon on the banks of the Argideen river in Gearagh, Rossmore, Cork. It walked along the riverbank, swam for a little bit and walked along riverbank again.
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Winifred Patricia Holmes
1/4/2021 03:26:37 pm
Saw an otter on Hilly Road Drumshanbo today! There's plenty of marsh land, streams and rivers in Drumshanbo....
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Joe maguire
6/10/2022 11:31:56 am
Just spotted a otter in the Glen river Park in cork city for the first time. Can't find a cork based site to report it
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