2024-08 (Mom and pup river otters)
This is how I reported the encounter to Cal Poly Humboldt's Citizen Scientist River Otter Project:
Date & Time: August 2, 2023 between 2:45 and 3:05 PM
Location: Big Lagoon, Humboldt Lagoons State Park
Number of adults and smaller pups: Mom and one pup
Otter’s behavior: First observed swimming to a sandy point on the west side of the lagoon. They scampered a few feet ashore and then flopped to sun themselves. About thirty seconds later the mom noticed my wife and me watching from about fifty yards down the shoreline. Apparently, that was too close. Mom headed right back into the water while the pup nosed around the point for a minute more. By the time the pup caught up--about thirty yards from the shore--mom had already dived and found a snack. The pup swam up and seemed to want her to share. She gave him a "You're old enough to get your own" disinclination. She continued to snack and float for about five minutes while the youngster persisted. After she finished eating (and not sharing) they swam toward us for about ten yards. Then they dove and we continued north along the shore.
[I attached this and the following otter photos in the Flickr album "Humboldt Vacation, 2023: The Great Outdoors"]
The reply email:
Hi Richard,
Thank you so much for sending in your sighting (and in such a wonderfully organized fashion!). I have just added your sighting to our dataset.
Your pictures are great - and very helpful for us to estimate pup size. Exciting you got to see a mom and pup together. We will certainly let you know if we hope to use your photos.
Thank you again for joining in on the citizen science project, and we're looking forward to hearing from you again soon!
Cheers,
Charlotte Norman
Student Intern with Professor Jeff Black
otterart.humboldt.edu/otterly-wild
www.northcoastjournal.com/humboldt/otterly-advice/Content...
2024-08 (Mom and pup river otters)
This is how I reported the encounter to Cal Poly Humboldt's Citizen Scientist River Otter Project:
Date & Time: August 2, 2023 between 2:45 and 3:05 PM
Location: Big Lagoon, Humboldt Lagoons State Park
Number of adults and smaller pups: Mom and one pup
Otter’s behavior: First observed swimming to a sandy point on the west side of the lagoon. They scampered a few feet ashore and then flopped to sun themselves. About thirty seconds later the mom noticed my wife and me watching from about fifty yards down the shoreline. Apparently, that was too close. Mom headed right back into the water while the pup nosed around the point for a minute more. By the time the pup caught up--about thirty yards from the shore--mom had already dived and found a snack. The pup swam up and seemed to want her to share. She gave him a "You're old enough to get your own" disinclination. She continued to snack and float for about five minutes while the youngster persisted. After she finished eating (and not sharing) they swam toward us for about ten yards. Then they dove and we continued north along the shore.
[I attached this and the following otter photos in the Flickr album "Humboldt Vacation, 2023: The Great Outdoors"]
The reply email:
Hi Richard,
Thank you so much for sending in your sighting (and in such a wonderfully organized fashion!). I have just added your sighting to our dataset.
Your pictures are great - and very helpful for us to estimate pup size. Exciting you got to see a mom and pup together. We will certainly let you know if we hope to use your photos.
Thank you again for joining in on the citizen science project, and we're looking forward to hearing from you again soon!
Cheers,
Charlotte Norman
Student Intern with Professor Jeff Black
otterart.humboldt.edu/otterly-wild
www.northcoastjournal.com/humboldt/otterly-advice/Content...