Gower Wildlife

Otter feeding in Fall Bay

I guess I am not alone in thinking that Otters are pimarily associated with rivers, streams and estuaries, rather than rocky coastline. Although I am aware of reports of Otter sightings in the past in the Rhossili area, I have never seen one here, despite over a quarter of a century of walking the cliffs in the Mewslade-Fall part of the coast. Until today, that is. A whiskery head popped up in Fall Bay this morning and my assumption was that it was a seal (which would have been a good sighting, anyway). But as it dived there was a long, slender tail: this was a big Otter, not a seal.

I watched the Otter fishing for several minutes and then it surfaced with a pretty big fish (maybe 25-30cm in length).

It then swam towards the outer edge of the bay and, after disappearing from view for a minute or so, appeared on the rocks under Tears Point. It spent about eight minutes eating its catch before sliding back into the waves.

I feel I was very lucky to have seen this and to have been able to photograph it as it happened.