Visited a new site today and as I expected, was far from disappointed! It's a stretch of coastline which I have always thought looked good, and had heard it was but never actually explored. No matter how many good sites you know and how many reliable families inhabit them, new sites are always handy.
Perfect habitat, to get to which I had to drive in a private dirt road. Fortunately it turns out the land owner knew exactly who I was, is a cousin of mine and was delighted to allow me vehicle access across his land.
As I reached the end of the dirt track road and cut the engine, i caught sight of the glistening rear end and tail of a feeding otter disappear bellow the surface, just a few metres off shore. When the otter surfaces just a few seconds later and I see that it is an adult female. She carries on feeding, each time she surfaces a little closer to the low headland about 30 yards along the shore. Waisting no time I sneak along the shore while she dives, leaving my camera behind.
I follow the shore heading out to the point, keeping below the bank and hide amongst some large boulders. Eventually she heads for the shore, straight towards where I am hiding. I sit electrified and totally motionless as she hauls out just metres in front of me, sprainting before beginning grooming. She carries on, slipping in and out of a rock pool before heading back off to feed, i wait till she is under and slip away myself.
Further along the shore I come across another, again a female but this time a mother with two cubs, I watch them enthralled till the darkness begins to close in and I am forced to head for home, buoyed by the success of my reccie, I know this will be the first of many visits here.
