# General > Biodiversity >  Thurso otters

## kas

Anyone seen the Thurso River otters of late?
Caught a quick glipse of one at the river mouth on Sunday, my first time since February.

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## wifie

How fantastic. Have there always been otters in Thurso river - never heard it before?

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## acameron

Fishing on Saturday night at Thurso beach (just below the steps in the middle) and an otter came out of the surf almost 15 feet away from us, and was eating a wee fish. He finished the fish and jumped back into the surf and disappeared. The otter knew we were there because we had all of our headtorches trained on it, but it sat there for about 5 mins and finished his fish.
I think he was making a fool of us because we only caught the one fish and he decided to show us how to do it properly.

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## Torvaig

My dog and I watched an otter playing in the river a few weeks ago. This was in broad daylight. He eventually turned on his back and floated around as if he was watching us; a right little performer and a delight to see.

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## Seabird

Thurso otter almost met a nasty end this morning at 9am.
I was driving along side the River heading towards the river mouth when the Otter crossed the road a few yards in front of me.
Needless to say i hit the brakes pretty hard and stoped.
The otter continued across the road looked back at me and twitched it's nose with that whats the matter with you look.
The otter was dry so he must have been scavenging around by the few business premisses along that stretch of road.

A work friend told me she had seen the otter in the road dodging traffic by the toll.
Road sense it aint got but it's certainly got nerve to dodge cars in this part of the country.

Colin

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## lesley_mac

if u go up river to jocks hole u are more likely to come a cross a few otters playing together

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## MISS K

we are just back from taking my 2 dogs out for their last trip to the beach, when mr k who was walking in front with our toddler shouted at me to take a look, and a beautiful otter ran up along side us, totally not phased by the dogs, got to the end of the pier and jamp back into the water.....it was ace :Grin:

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## astroman

> How fantastic. Have there always been otters in Thurso river - never heard it before?


The first ones I spotted were a couple of years ago - http://www.caithness.org/fpb/februar...php?gallery=13. 
As has been mentioned in this thread they didn't seem too bothered by people nearby watching what they're up to.
I've been lucky enough to see otters on the river a couple more times since - they're amazing creatures.

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## Kenn

I have known about otters on Thurso river for some years but have never managed to spot one of yet.
Are there  any areas around the coast where they occur? Would be very interested to hear of any sittings there.

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## Anne x

The Otters are lovely on Thurso River watched them a lot in the past 
fascinating creatures
the link given in above post from the org archives by Astroman is just like I experienced

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## Buttercup

Otters have been on the river for years have even watched young ones playing with their parents. In the summer at high tide you can see them regularly playing in the water in front of the legion houses and E & M Engineering. They're fascinating and you could watch them for hours, they've no fear of people (or don't object to people, I should say) and are even cheeky enough to put on a show at times.

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## kas

4 across from E&M engineering last week, sadly not seen by myself. Even sadder was a dead one on Scrabster beach.

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## astroman

There were two at Thurso river mouth while I was taking these photos last night - http://forum.caithness.org/showpost....79&postcount=1. 

I think I raised their curiosity - they were probably checking out the fool that was down at the river mouth in the middle of night when they should have been asleep in bed  ::

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## the_count

ya shohave tried to gt a few shots of em astroman, i saw a couple playg in the dunes once when i was on reiss beach but didn't have the camera on me  ::

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## cazmanian_minx

There's definitely at least one on Armadale Bay, I keep seeing fresh paw-prints leading up to its holt on the Allt Beag, but haven't managed to spot it yet (I don't get up early enough!).  I'm told there's also one at Port a'Chinn near Armadale.

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## astroman

> ya shohave tried to gt a few shots of em astroman, i saw a couple playg in the dunes once when i was on reiss beach but didn't have the camera on me


I was there at 0130hrs, so to get a decent photo I'd have either needed a camera equipped with night vision or a much bigger flash on my camera  ::

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## arana negra

Been a few years since I was in Thurso, went to visit my old school pal who used to be in the lighthouse there. I have not seen the Thurso otters but did get a glimpse of one in the river at Lochinver, real cheeky chappy.

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## inorg

Caught a glimpse of one earlier in the week and whilst down at the harbour entrance yesterday watching a seal have a salmon supper we got chatting to two locals.
They were saying that there is currently a female with three young in tow and they have been regularly sited from "The Legion."

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## kas

Saw a mother with a young cub last night in the sea at Scrabster last night. Delightful.............. :Wink:

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## Mystical Potato Head

Was on my way out to Thurso east earlier in the spring when i noticed these little fellows along the shoreline,went out to the breakwater across from the fish shop and waited patiently for them to hopefully swim by

which they kindly did



And even looked up at me as they rounded the breakwater

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## Kenn

MPH I am now green with envy, what a couple of shots to get!

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## horseman

Lovely shots MPH,now I know it is for real,great.
 We are sampling New England just now and there is alltogether too much to see :Smile:

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## Rie

nice photos , i was out walking my dog in the evening a few weeks ago  and saw 2 otters in thurso river near the boating pond , great sight to see

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## youoldduffer

I was walking home from work over the service bridge about 01.30 in wick, when i heard splashing and looked over to see two otters playing about musta been for about 15-20 mins. I havn't seen one let alone two in wick since i was young (bout 20 years ago).

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## scottish_willow

I had the same experience myself in Wick a couple of weeks back.  Heading past the Bridge at night we heard a strange noise.  On further investigation it was what we believe to be three otters.  One of the greatest sights I have seen in Wick and would love to see again.   ::  ::

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## youoldduffer

> I had the same experience myself in Wick a couple of weeks back.  Heading past the Bridge at night we heard a strange noise.  On further investigation it was what we believe to be three otters.  One of the greatest sights I have seen in Wick and would love to see again.



I stop now every night on my way home or to work for awhile just in case i see them again

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## luke83

There were 2 playing in Wick river by the medical centre last night, they swam right into the light from the service bridge streetlamps and looked up to see what the commotion was from me & my wife nearly falling off the bridge to see them!!! Very cute  :Grin:

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## thurso_123

was driveing to castletown last week and there was anotter lying dead on the corner at lady janets wood

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## the_count

> There were 2 playing in Wick river by the medical centre last night, they swam right into the light from the service bridge streetlamps and looked up to see what the commotion was from me & my wife nearly falling off the bridge to see them!!! Very cute


yeah i spotted them too at about 6:20am going to work. knew there were otters about but had never seen any ..... just a shame i didn't have my camera on me.  ::

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## Gizmo

> yeah i spotted them too at about 6:20am going to work. knew there were otters about but had never seen any ..... just a shame i didn't have my camera on me.


My wife saw one of them sitting on the slipway beside the medical centre on friday at around half four, it was sitting there with a fish in it's hand, happily munching away and completely oblivious to everything going on around it.

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## kas

Anyone seen them on Thurso River recently??

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## robglysen

We saw one running accross the road towards the sea outside Sandside Estate on the road leading to the harbour about an hour ago.
It was quite dark but my wife knows her nature and swears it was an otter.

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## Mystical Potato Head

> Anyone seen them on Thurso River recently??


Not seen or heard any recently and i'm up and down the river fairly regularly but its all down to luck,can go months without seeing any and then up the pop several days in a row.

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## the_count

Spotted the Wick pair again behind the doctors heading under the bridge at 6:15 this morning .... just a shame it was to dark to get pictures  ::

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## A9RUNNER

Seen one the other day upstream of Dirlot Gorge, Played in the pool for about 10 minutes before quietly disappearing out of sight. It didnt appear to be phased by the human audience. One of the few times I have been out and about without my camera.

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## kas

Thanks to a mate I saw this one last night. I did not have a zoom lens so the photo is a heavily croppped one, hence being a bit dodgy. I went back tonight but there is too much activity with the surfing finals taking place.

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## wifie

Oh well done you "caught" one tho!   :Grin:

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## kas

I saw it again tonight, the light was poor for photos but at least I got photos. It was great to watch, quite a cheeky character.

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## kas

Heres hoping for the same sighting on a nice bright day.

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## wifie

Brillaint pics Kas!  Otters are gorgeous aren't they?   :Grin:

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## Kenn

Well done kas, the dinner time shots are great.

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## Mystical Potato Head

Terrific photos Kas.well worth the wait.

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## alex

Brilliant to see they're here - thanks for the photos.

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## WeeBurd

We spotted two otters around beat five of the Thurso (Halkirk), that was back in February when the snow was about. We've also spotted them playing around in the area below the Ulbster Arms. What bonnie wee things they are too!

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## Kevin Milkins

I have just seen my first Otter. :: 

It was in the same place Mrs M saw one a few weeks ago at the bottom end of Reiss beech, I was turning my car around to come home and it walked out of the sea towards the dunes then changed it's mind and turned around and went back to the water.

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