My Otter Friends

I went out for a short paddle on Saturday and got a chance to spend some time with these guys. The day was warm, in the 60's, but windy. I paddled down to a spot where I had seen about a thousand geese and duck in December. Saturday there were fewer ducks, but I did see something new. A couple river otters playing by the water. I spent about 30 minutes watching and taking photos and thoroughly having a hoot at their antics. I took this video after seeing them from a couple hundred yards away. At first I thought they were a single beaver. To get a better view, I crept along the wooded edge, staying out of sight until I drew even with the raised bank where I thought they (it) were playing. I drew even with them and crept up to the crest where I thought they were. Sure enough, there they were about 20 yards away. I believe it may have been a mating pair...you see the video and tell me what you think. I'm no Marlin Perkins, but the movements suggest a little amorous attention trying to be given. They finally saw me and took off into the water. They didn't disappear, but swam back the way I had crept. There they parked again on the dirt bank and rolled, played and nipped at each other. I walked in plain view of them until I was about 30 yards away. They were fine as long as I kept that distance which was fine for me. A great day of watching a couple of my favorite river creatures at play.