On a chilly December morning, I was treated to an especially gorgeous sunrise.
But better than the sunrise, I got to see something unexpected!
There were river otters eating, playing, and snuggling by the water. It was so much fun to watch them.
Did you know that river otters are often crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk)? They can be more nocturnal (active at night) in spring, summer, and fall, and more diurnal (active in the day) in winter. Since it's winter now, that explains why I got to see them.
I knew they were river otters, even though they were in the sea.
For one thing, sea otters almost never come onto land, whereas river otters hunt for food in the water, but spend the rest of their time ashore.
Sea otters also are much larger, and have shorter tails. Can you spot the shape of the river otters' tails in the video?
And of course, you are probably familiar with the image of a sea otter floating on its back? Well, river otters swim on their fronts, just like most other animals.
I was so excited to get to see these adorable creatures in the wild. I hope I'll spot them again soon!
What is the neatest animal you've ever seen in the wild?
Whale sharks. Took my breath away. 😮