As I’ve mentioned before, I’m part of a couple of Facebook groups, one for Maine Birds, and one for Maine Wildlife. There are some amazing photographers who are members of each group, and I’ve really enjoyed the photos and stories they’ve shared. I can always count on them to bring a little joy to my day.

      In the fall of 2021, I started seeing a lot of posts of a pair of North American River Otters. Some of the posts were from these amazing photographers. However, as time went on, more and more were from other folks. It soon became obvious that all these folks were seeing the same pair of otters due to the number of shots of the same amazing piece of action or recognizable features in the environment. As more time passed, it was also obvious that the otters were hanging around, that it wasn’t one or two days, that somehow all these folks knew of a place to consistently see this pair of otters.

      I’ve seen otters at the zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts, and I’ve always known they’re native to Maine, but I’ve never been lucky enough to see any. I started to get excited at the possibility, especially as some of the posts were starting to provide more information – first that they were in Cumberland County, then that they were in Portland. Then, one day, I hit the information jackpot. Apparently, the otters were being talked about in the local newspaper, so the location was no longer a secret. Someone posted in the group that they were in one of the ponds in Evergreen Cemetery.

      Bobby was doing a lot of deliveries in Scarborough and Portland, and often on the weekend, he would have me ride with him, dropping me off somewhere with my camera for 20 minutes or so while he did his deliveries. I pulled up a map to see where exactly Evergreen Cemetery was to see if we could do that one of those days, but it was on the other side of the city from where he had to go, too far out of the way to make it feasible.

      However, on Thanksgiving Day, neither of us had to work, and because of the pandemic, we weren’t going to be spending the day with family. It was a beautifully sunny day, crisp but not too cold. We packed up my gear and headed off to Portland around 8:30am. My hope was that with it being early and a holiday, it wouldn’t be too busy. In fact, I was worried I might not find the otters at all if there weren't any photographers already there.

      When we arrived at the cemetery, we slowly wound our way through the lanes towards the back. Eventually, I spied a few small ponds and a good place to park. We pulled into the spot, and I hopped out. I saw a few photographers, one hanging out by one of the ponds, and the others were walking towards us. I figured that lone photographer was as good a place to start as any. I bundled up, grabbed my gear, and walked the short distance to where he was standing.

      When I arrived, I asked him if the otters were there since he wasn’t actually doing anything with his camera equipment. He said yes, that they’d been playing but had now curled up to sleep. He pointed them out to me, two bits of brown fur hidden behind a rock and cement wall on a little island in the middle of the pond. I set up my stool and tripod, then trained my lens on the slowly rising and falling lumps of fur. I had my 1.4x extender but didn’t put it on to start. While they were on the island, it didn’t look like they’d fill the frame, so I probably would need to crop in, but I didn’t want to run the risk of being too zoomed in if they left the island on our side.

You could just barely see the otters sleeping, tucked up against the wall on the little island. Portland, Maine, USA

      I didn’t have to wait long for the otters to start stirring. They spent some time looking around and grooming, and they were adorable! They were curled up together and alternated between grooming each other and tumbling around, playing. I took some video clips of them in addition to getting photos and was really enjoying myself.

One of the otters growling at the other while they played. Portland, Maine, USA

The second otter is licking the corner of the first otter's mouth, whether as part of grooming or as part of playing, I'm not sure. Portland, Maine, USA

Here, they're definitely back to playing again, with one pushing the other's face away. Portland, Maine, USA

      As time went on, more and more people showed up. Many were photographers with cameras and big lenses, many of whom seemed to know each other. There were also a lot of families. Some people were obviously visiting just to see the otters. Others, it seemed like this was a normal excursion for them and stopping to see the otters was simply a bonus. There were a lot of folks out for their usual morning walk or run, and many of them didn’t even bother looking over. I assume they were probably well used to the otters and the crowds at that point. The last piece that really surprised me were all of the dog walkers. Again, some stopped by to view the otters, while the others just kept on their merry way. The amazing thing was how the otters reacted to it all. When there was a particularly loud dog barking, they might pause for a second and look in that direction. But, after a moment, they’d just go back to whatever they’d already been doing.

There was a particularly noisy dog barking that caused the otters to pause in their rough-housing and look over, but only for a moment. Portland, Maine, USA

      Eventually, the otters left the island and started fishing. Sometimes, they stayed close to the island. Other times, though, they got really close to the edge of the pond. At one point, I saw a group of people on the other side of the pond. There were a few kids throwing rocks or sticks onto the pond, trying to see if the thin ice would break or make an interesting sound. I was surprised to spy the otters popping up at the very edge of the pond beneath some trees just a couple of feet from the crowd. The people had no idea the otters were there, looking everywhere except at their feet. The otters peered up at them in curiosity for a few minutes before heading back towards my end of the pond.

One of the otters popped up munching on a fish right next to the island and happened to look my way for his last few bites. Portland, Maine, USA

      Later, the otters started fishing in the reeds just a few feet from where I was sitting. That was fantastic! Once again, I worked to get both some video footage and still photos. The light was really nice with the sun behind me, but there were some tall trees that did throw a bit of shade onto the water to my left. The otters were very fast, so I didn’t get a ton of photos, but they’d usually pop up for a few seconds at a time to look around or munch on something they’d caught. I did get one series of images when one of the otters caught a relatively large fish and spent longer than usual chowing down. I don’t usually like watching videos or seeing images of animals eating other animals. In this case, though, I made an exception, as it was nice to see the otter so close and above water for so long.

One of the otters swimming through the reeds only a few yards away from me. I loved the reflections of the blue sky and brown reeds in the calm water. Portland, Maine, USA

One of the otters with a really large fish he caught in the reeds near my seat. Portland, Maine, USA

You can see the fish much better in this image. Portland, Maine, USA

The otter looked around a lot while he munched on the fish. I don't know if he was worried about something else trying to steal it or just super curious to continue looking around while eating. Portland, Maine, USA

      The otters alternated their time between swimming around fishing and investigating and going back to the island to hang out and rest a bit. For a while, I couldn’t see the otters at all. Most of the crowd left, but some folks wandered around to the other side. Apparently, they could see the otters from that viewpoint. I stayed where I was, however. With so many people, I wouldn’t have been able to get a good spot to set up my stool and tripod. Plus, it would have meant shooting into the sun, and that’s assuming the otters would even still be there by the time I made it over to the right spot.

      So, I waited, and sure enough, the otters moved once more. I was completely alone on my side. I scanned everywhere as well as keeping an ear out in case the folks across the pond spotted them. Before long, I spied some of the reeds next to me starting to move. I swung my lens around and waited. After a moment, I was rewarded as one of the otters poked his head up maybe 4 feet from me. He dove back underwater and popped up in the reeds again, peering up at me. There was a tree between us, so I didn’t get any great photos while he was there. But, it was an amazing experience to be so close, both of us peering around the tree at each other, quiet and peaceful because everyone else was on the other side of the pond. It only lasted a few minutes, but it was very special.

The otter swimming into the reeds near where I was sitting. He and I were the only ones on that side of the pond. Portland, Maine, USA

The otter peeking at me from behind some reeds while I poked my head around a tree to peek back. It's not the best photo, but he was only a couple of feet from me, the closest either of them had come, and I was the only one there to experience it. Portland, Maine, USA

      After I’d been there for about an hour and a half, the otters once again climbed up onto the island. Many of the other photographers had come back around to my side. The one who had been there when I arrived said this was the best light, that he’d been waiting all day for this good light. The otters were in the same spot they’d been in when I’d first arrived. They were grooming and tumbling over each other again, and all the photographers were clicking like crazy. I shot a bit more video and a few stills, but they were still partially hidden by the wall. When they finally curled up to sleep, I decided it was time for me to go. I packed up my gear and slipped away, allowing others to take my spot.

One of the otters walking along the top of the wall on the island before climbing into the brush. Portland, Maine, USA

The others back in their position by the wall, looking out at everyone, getting ready to go back to sleep. Portland, Maine, USA

      When I got back to the truck, I regaled Bobby with the story of my morning with the otters as I packed everything away. Even though there had been a lot of people, my anxiety had never really kicked in. Everyone had been nice and respectful of others and of the otters. Even the kids who had been yelling and throwing things were just horsing around; they hadn’t been yelling at the otters or throwing anything intentionally at the otters, just at the ice on the opposite side of the pond from where the otters were at that moment. As a consequence, I was able to find a lot of peace that morning being outside in the sun surrounded by other people just as fascinated, just as taken with the experience of watching those adorable river otters. I am so glad we went there that morning, that I was able to spend a few precious hours in the presence of an amazing pair of animals, and I hope to get the chance again some day.