In the Field

River Otter or Sea Otter? Vargas Island, BC, Canada. August 4, 1994.

Animal tracks fascinate me. They can not only convey a wealth of information about an animal's behaviour, but they can be sources of beauty (or at least visual interest!) themselves.

I was on a remote coastal island when I encountered these tracks. I was excited about them for a couple of reasons. First, I knew instantly that they were either Northern River Otter or Sea Otter tracks (and both species are found in this region). Second, I loved the natural texture of the sand and how the tracks strongly contrasted with them.

As it turned out, I saw a river otter nearby a few minutes later, and its tracked matched these ones almost perfectly. A week or so later I confirmed the match with a field guide to animal tracks. It was still a good find, but I have to admit I was slightly disappointed that they weren't Sea Otter tracks!

Behind the Camera

River Otter or Sea Otter? Vargas Island, BC, Canada. August 4, 1994.

Film Capture; Fuji Provia; ISO 100.

Nikon F801 film SLR with Nikon 35-135 mm f/3.5-5.6 AF lens - handheld.

Exposure information not recorded.

At the Computer

River Otter or Sea Otter? Vargas Island, BC, Canada. August 4, 1994.

Details to follow.

Conservation

River Otter or Sea Otter? Vargas Island, BC, Canada. August 4, 1994.

Information to follow.