River otter in NE Santa rosa

I have a small creek that runs by my kitchen window. Paulin Creek.   This morning I checked a disturbance in the water and it was a 4 ' river otter.  That explains where all the fingerling steelies went.  Battery on the camera went dead after one shot.

I have a small creek that runs by my kitchen window. Paulin Creek.   This morning I checked a disturbance in the water and it was a 4 ' river otter.  That explains where all the fingerling steelies went.  Battery on the camera went dead after one shot.

Crab bait 

Very cool!!  Those things are making a come back all over, I've seen'em in Martinez, (along with the beavers) and saw an article on them showing up in SF bay.

Very cool!!  Those things are making a come back all over, I've seen'em in Martinez, (along with the beavers) and saw an article on them showing up in SF bay.

Didn't we see one at Van Damme?

Those little guys can be destructive they took out our local trout farm a couple years ago. At the fresh kats amador event I had one I thought was gonna board me. He would dive and come up closer each time. He went right under me and came up a couple feet away. Counted 7 in the lake that day.

I had one at Elk follow me around for quite awhile couldn't get rid of him till I saw somebody with a fish hanging and I paddled over and said hello 

Sign of a healthy stream when they are there. Great news!


Matt

Nothing some powder could cure.

That's funny Mickfish   

I had a giant one on Lake Natoma in Folsom stick his head up in the air and swim right over to my boat. Had me a little concerned because he acted like he owned the place.

Forestville is loaded with them. My brother lives a half mile from the Russian River and all his geese were abducted. The last goose was being pulled through the no climb fence as my brother witnessed the otter in the act.

Very cool!!  Those things are making a come back all over, I've seen'em in Martinez, (along with the beavers) and saw an article on them showing up in SF bay.

Didn't we see one at Van Damme?

Yeah, there was one paddling around right at the surfline.

There's been one poking around in Galina's creek behind my work as well.

Great to see

The creek at Fulton and West 3rd has a few different mink families, as well.

Sign of a healthy stream when they are there. Great news!

+1

I've learned that they're herding and driving the pike minnow on the Eel, taking out large numbers of the unwanted invasive fish.  Yes, they eat the good ones too (salmonids), but the streams evolved with otters and I believe there are many more good aspects to their presence than bad.

I see lots of otters on the ocean and in the estuary too.

In 2012 I saw a otter up at the Petaluma River and in 2013 saw a couple over by SanQ close to the Larkspur ferry terminal.