River Otter Eating a Fish

The photos below show a river otter eating a fish on a creekbank along the Shorebird Loop Trail at the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex south of Eureka, CA, at the end of February. The refuge is situated on an estuary, where freshwater streams meet ocean waters in a slough. We had hoped throughout our northern California trip to see an otter, and it was on our last day in the north that we were alerted to the presence of this one by a friendly wildlife biology student from Humboldt State. Alas, my camera battery was just about out of power, with the backup back at the car, so these were the best I was able to get in the few shots I had left. We followed the otter's bubbles as it swam underwater to a couple of other spots nearby, and were utterly delighted to have such an extended opportunity to observe this charming animal. For someone raised on The Wind in the Willows (which, in case you don't know, is about so much more than the adventures of Mr. Toad), it was an especially nice treat.