River Otters

[Mooseherder]

River Otters eating Tilapia this morning.

river otters eating tilapia - YouTube

[WDH]

The otters can have all the tilapia.  That is about the only fish that I will not eat.  

[WV Sawmiller]

  You obviously have not had them properly prepared!

  The best fish I ever ate were Tilipia cooked over a charcoal stove made of an old tire wheel and a heavy piece of welding wire for a grill in a remote village in Cameroon in West Africa. The lady scaled them, rubbed them with local made peanut oil and a local (Maggi) brand seasoning, scored 3 times on each side and cooked them over hot local charcoal she kept fanned with a piece of cardboard (or maybe she was just shooing the flies away). 

   The first one was served on a piece of used paper cement sack but as repeat customers the next ones were served on a community plastic plate she had no doubt washed in the street run-off and wiped dry with a questionable hand towel of some sort. They cost between 25-40 cents each. 

   I think the otters are enjoying them just like we did. Otters seem to enjoy playing more than most any animal I can think of and never seem to outgrow their childhood.

[Mooseherder]

They've been eating all morning.   I walked down and they left right away.   Most times they just ignore us.  Here they are leaving moving on to neighbors pond.

River Otters leaving the pond. - YouTube

[WDH]

I am sure what I had was that stuff raised in the billions in a nasty mud hole somewhere in Southeast Asia and imported into the US. Mushy like oatmeal.  

I much prefer our Southern catfish and would never choose tilapia over our native fish.  

I will leave those supermarket tilapia to the War Eagles.  

[Mooseherder]

You want to hear something funny.  Tilapia is in the top 5 best selling meat items at the chain I worked for.   Salmon, Tilapia, Ribeyes, Boneless Breasts, groundchuck.  In that order. They look like goldfish to me. I'd eat it but haven't bought any in 30 years.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I think they are closer to Bluegill. At least as good as a crappie. Catfish is hard to beat but a bluegill does.

  I still can't think of any wild animal that is more playful than an otter. Others have their spells but otters seem like that is their whole life.

[Mooseherder]

They're back and momma comes to check me out.
momma River Otter - YouTube

More momma
Momma River Otter - YouTube

[Mooseherder]

A Blue Heron comes to see the River Otters.
Blue Heron checking out River Otters. - YouTube

[WV Sawmiller]

MH,

   I am surprised your otters are coming out this much in the daylight hours. I think of them as mostly nocturnal critters.

    I love watching the blue herons fishing. They are very territorial and will stake out an area of the lake or river bank and chase the other herons away who try to encroach on their domain. I saw one in the everglades one time with about a 2 lb bass. I knew he could not swallow that but we watched a while and he started tossing it around till he got it pointed head down then with a lot of effort he finally choked it down. I think I saw a video of one in the Amazon somewhere with about a 5-6 lb catfish. I don't know if he tore it up or tried to swallow it whole. If the otters are smart they will steer clear of him. I bet he could ruin their day with that long break. I bet he is watching them for any leftover tilapia scraps.

[Mooseherder]

They're still eating.  I just went down to the pond and they came out where I was standing.

River otter close up. - YouTube

[peakbagger]

I was paddling one weekend out along the Maine coast and the resident gray harbor seals came out to visit us. The swim around the boats and bob their heads out of the water. The next weekend I was up paddling on large fresh water lake in Maine. At one point on the paddle I looked over and saw some similar heads bobbing out of the water. My first thought was it was some Harbor seals visiting again but about a minute later I realized they were not fresh water seals but a family of otters doing the same thing. 

[SwampDonkey]

They go for the trout and even the beavers in the ponds up here. They can catch all the beavers they want to eat as far as I'm concerned. :D

[KEC]

Mooseherder, what kind of tree is in the video with ringed bark ?

[Mooseherder]

They're an Invasive tree locals call Australian Pine.  It's a Sheoak.  Hard stuff.
The other trees in the videos are Coconut trees and Royal Palms.
I'm thinking you might be talking about coconut tree.  Which video?

[KEC]

I see it in reply # 10. I wasn't thinking about Florida. Like the videos.