A few days ago, Astrid and I had one of the most spectacular photography sessions we have ever had. All of the stars just happened to line up perfectly, the biggest star being a very ambitious otter.

We had been driving along a local waterway on the lookout for bald eagles and hoping to maybe get lucky and spot an otter.

About mid afternoon Astrid said, “Hang on I may have seen an otter back there.” I turned around so we could have a better look and sure enough there was an otter swimming close to shore. Then we realized not only was it an otter, this otter was wrestling with a huge carp that it was trying to get up onto the ice shelf.

The carp is almost as big as the otter. 

Now, we have had some experience with this particular family of otters before and we knew that they are very skittish. We knew that if we stepped out of the van the otter would be gone, so we had to find a place by the side of the road where we could see the otter and also park safely.

To complicate the situation, there was a grove of cedar trees between us and the water that could easily block our sightline. This is where the stars lined up! The otter chose a spot to bring the carp up onto the ice right in a small gap in the cedar trees.

We had a perfect sightline and we were in for way more of a show than we could have imagined.

The carp is fighting the otter with all its might. 

This carp was as big as the otter. It was pushing 30-35 lbs. and it was fighting the otter with all its might. The otter was really struggling with it. At one point, it looked like the otter was dancing with the carp. It had both front legs wrapped around it like it was giving it a big hug as it tried to push the carp up onto the ice. That didn’t work and the carp slipped back into the water.

Change of plan… ”I’ll try to drag it up backwards.” The otter got a hold of one of the rear fins and backed its way up onto the ice, struggling to drag the carp up with it. The carp was still fighting, but it was working!

The otter managed to get this monster carp all the way up onto the ice.

Our mystery was solved for sure now. We now knew how these carp were getting up on the ice, however the battle was not over yet for the exhausted otter. It rested a few minutes, marked its territory claiming the carp as his, and then began to make plans on where to start with this massive meal.

Finally the otter succeeds and gets the carp up onto the ice. 

It no sooner began when out of nowhere it scrambled as fast as it could and dove into the water. A few seconds later two crows landed at the carcass.

I think the otter thought it was two eagles when it saw the shadows coming inbound. Once it realized that they were just crows it climbed back up on the ice and reclaimed its prize, but it was not going to take any chances.

The otter proceeded to drag the carp back into the water and a couple of moments later it could be seen struggling to pull it back up onto the ice by the tail at a different hole.

The otter has to do it all again to save its catch from pesky crows. 

Astrid and I were exhausted from just trying to keep up with the action and keep the cameras on it, but it was a very good exhaustion. We went home very excited to have witnessed this epic battle of the otter and the carp!

© Peterborough Examiner