Cute and Cuddly Otters? Not!

   It boggles my mind how many times I am told "I would love to swim/play with the otters around your pier!"  No...NO!  No, you do not want to do this.  I agree that the critters are adorably cute but they are not playthings in any sort of way.  The otters are vicious predators that would just as soon attack anything/anyone they deem as a threat...especially when they have their young out and about.  As with any good parents, the otters are fiercely protective of their pups and will fight to the death to defend them.  So...no...you do not want to play with the otters.  Just don't.  

  Yesterday morning as we eased our way down the pier, a rather large otter could be seen swimming from my brother's pier.  The critter had raided the crab pots and had its breakfast in its jaws.  As soon as it reached our pier, it went straight up onto the platform and started eating that crab.  The mama otter tried to take a swipe at the crab and was met with a sharp reprisal.  This was the dad's meal and even she was not going to take it from him.  At  that very time, some yelps could be heard in the marsh just behind us.  Several pups were calling for their mom as they made their way from the den to the water's edge.  Since Mom was aware that Mark and I were on the pier, she slipped a bit farther down to the marsh edge and barked for her babes to come hither.  They followed her voice and were soon to be seen plopping from the marsh into the water.  From there, she coaxed them to my brother's pier and remained with them for the entirety of my stay on the pier.  As for the dad?  He went on his merry way after getting his belly full.