Tofino River Otters, Playful, healthy and so cute. We love the river otters of Tofino and Clayoquot Sound, BC

River otters hanging out together on the dock in downtown Tofino. Their fur camouflages well both in the water and on the rocks, but they stand out a bit against the red and green of the dock.

Are those kayakers out in the harbour? Don't you just love the way they play on the water!

Many thanks to Tofino Photography for these photographs.

Tofino River Otters

Canadian River Otter
Tofino river otters are a sub-species of the Lutrinae (otter) and belong to the Mustelidae (marten) family. They are beautiful, graceful creatures and a delight to see both in the ocean and on the land. Think river otters are something new - think again - archeological remains of river otters have been found from 200 BC. They have been swimming the waters of the world for a long time.

Healthy, Cute and Playful
We love seeing river otters and they are much bigger than you think. They are about three to four feet long and adults usually weigh 15-20 pounds. Their lifespan is an average of 15 years. Coat colours may be black or reddish/greyish brown. Undercoats are silver/greyish brown. Their fur is think and soft. The river otters we see here in Tofino and Clayoquot Sound are healthy and and so cute!

Playing is a natural habit for otters and chasing each other, wrestling and tossing clamshells. They like to hang out together and seem to enjoy each other's company.

When we see a those small heads pop up when we're kayaking we stop and just watch them. I kayak with my jack russell on board and she really gets excited when she sees one. One time we were just floating and a pod popped up right by my kayak. It was amazing to watch them. When they noticed us sitting there they dove down and we saw them pop up about 20 meters away. All except for one who came up right by the kayak and splashed in the water. Completely scared both my dog and me!

Fast in The Water and On Land
Otters can stay underwater for two minutes and swim at around seven miles per hour. They make no sound (usually, see above) when swimming or diving. And they are expert at both. Their ears and nose have adapted special valve-like skin that keeps them airtight. The webbed feet of river otters are great for both swimming and running. They are fast in and out of the water. On land, one may see them running, up to 15 miles per hour, and sliding down river or ocean banks into the water. I have seen this from my kayak with otters on Meares Island.

Noisy, Playful Animals
Like my jack russell, otters depend a lot on their noses for communication. And like the barking of my jack, they do have their own talking in whistles, snorts, chirps and screams. Like many wild animals, otters are nocturnal and do their thing from early evening to the morning. The photos on this page were taken in early evening on the dock in downtown Tofino.

What You Can Do To Help Otters
It's easy to help otters and all animals, fish and plants who depend on a healthy ocean. Don't litter and if you see litter pick it up and drop it into a trash container. If you smoke, do not, we repeat, do not leave the end of the cigarette with the filter behind as litter. Filters are especially dangerous to animals who think they are food.

What Else Can You Do To Help Otters
Enjoy this beautiful environment. Get out into the thick of it and see how nature works together in harmony to provide a safe and nurturing home to all animals - and that means you too!