An Otterfully Wonderful Morning

Back to the delightful morning in the beach at Ft Worden, WA.  As I’d mentioned, except for a few minutes when I arrived, I had the whole stretch of beach to myself.  I found a large log that had washed up at the top of the beach and sat enjoying the peaceful solitude.  

But then I realized I wasn’t quite as alone as I thought I was.  Someone was enjoying a brunch on the beach about 40 feet away from me.

And that someone was a river otter!  

I have been fascinated with otters since childhood and was thrilled to have one so close.  I snapped a few photos of him as he munched on his mussel (and growled at the sea gull who kept edging ever closer).  I watched for a while, until my attention was caught by a gorgeous sail boat going by.  When I looked back at the water line, the otter was gone.

My disappointment was very short lived tho.  Because when I looked closer… MUCH closer… there was Mr. Otter only a few feet from me!! 

When our eyes met, he gave a cute wiggle and started rubbing himself in the sand.   

And he came a little closer.  Before long he had wiggled himself within 6 feet of me!  I decided to risk moving to pick up the camera.  Mr. Otter flipped on his back and started scratching his chin. 

Since moving didn’t bother him, I started talking to him.  That brought on a whole new round of wiggling and sanding. 

His fur was so thick and plush.  I would have loved to have felt it.  But you know, it never left my mind that as flirtatious Mr. Otter was, he was still a wild animal and a great big cousin of the weasel.  I had my escape route mapped if needed…

After a bit he settled into the sand with a content sigh and drifted off to sleep.  When I got up to leave, he opened his eyes for a moment as if to say, “Good bye.  Nice meeting you.”  

It was nice meeting you too, Mr. Otter!