Otter Mating Season?

 

Wesley Chapel, Florida (high 92, low 72)

 

We’re trying to decide when we can leave this miserable hot weather in Florida and head back to the cooler mountains of north  Georgia.  We don’t want to travel during the 4th of July week-end, so maybe afterwards.   Since it’s 21 degrees warmer here than it is in our other “home” in Blairsville, we are certainly anxious!

 

While we were in the Keys, we were lucky enough to personally witness some Loggerhead Sea Turtles mating.  There were two males mating with one poor female who was almost drowned in the process.  It was a violent act and disturbing at times.

In case you missed the blog post, you can see more pictures and read about it HERE

 

 

A few days later, we were back out in the boat and came across dolphin mating.   Just like the turtles, there were more than two individuals involved.

We weren’t able to get quite as close as we did with the turtles, but it was another spectacular sight.

You can see more pictures or read about it HERE

 

 

The otters that live, fish, and play in the pond behind us were out and about early this morning.  Before today, we have only seen two of them this year.  Last year there were four and perhaps they were the offspring.

This morning our friend Heidi said she saw four of them, but then one ran two off, by “barking” and chasing them into the woods.

Have you ever heard an otter bark?   I hadn’t either.  Later when he was by himself, I heard a chirping type noise that sounded more like a bird than an otter.  When he was after the other otter, I heard a definite barking sound.

Unfortunately, we got outside too late to see all four, but we did see two in the water splashing around with one chasing the other.   I feel certain it was another mating we were seeing.  Fortunately, this time there were only two involved and not the “gang bang” we saw with the dolphin and turtles.  :)

 

My photos weren’t great because they were moving so fast.

There was a lot of chasing, both in and out of the water.

In this next picture I see something that is either a foot or another otter? 

Here is a cropped photo.  I think it’s just a foot, but if it was the female my theory of what they were doing would be proved correct.

It was fun watching them and listening to them bark.

 

 

It’s too hot to sit outside except in the mornings and evenings, but we’re out every day after 5ish with our heavy duty fan, our books, and a cocktail or two.

I am reading the book Wild,  From lost to found on the Pacific Coast Trail”  

It’s a true story about a young woman who had some tragedy in her life which led to drug addiction and eventually to hike the PCT in attempt to get her life back on track.

A few days ago we rented the movie from a Redbox and enjoyed it so much that we decided to read the book. I”m enjoying the book just as much as the movie, and can highly recommend it.  I got it on Amazon e-books for only $6.99.    The author is Cheryl Strayed.

 

the end