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River Otters in Red Feather Lakes 5/10/2025

unconditionalwildl
Jun 4
2 min read

On the morning of May 10th, 2025, I set out to photograph mink, beavers, and anything else that might catch my eye. I noticed a juvenile bald eagle perched above a body of water, illuminated by the colors of the rising sun. Beneath the eagle, what appeared to be beavers floated calmly on the surface. As the eagle remained still, I turned my attention to what I believed were beavers at a distance.

Looking through my camera’s viewfinder, I watched the animals dive underwater—and then came the surprise. A long, dense, velvety tail followed one of them beneath the surface. Before they resurfaced, I realized I was looking at two North American River Otters.

The otters were just as curious about me as I was about them. They swam back and forth, often lifting their heads and upper bodies out of the water to observe me. Their vocalizations ranged from chirps and squeals at eachother, to the occasional bark in my direction to let me know they were aware of my presence.

Eventually, they retreated to a small island made of willows and branches, where I continued observing and photographing them as they moved between the island and the water. As the morning warmed up, their activity began to slow. Finally, I caught one last glimpse of a velvety tail slipping into the water—just as I had when I first realized they were otters.

I’ve visited Red Feather Lakes and this specific area over a thousand times, and this encounter reminded me how nature is always full of surprises. Sometimes, when you stop for one animal, you end up seeing so much more. You never know what God will let you cross paths with next.

While I was able to catch a video during this interaction, based off the shakiness, I think I will stick to photography!

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