SHETLAND – OTTER SAFARI – MARCH 6th

This BLOG will be in two parts – Part Two – Otters

Ever since I first visited Shetland, some 5 or 6 years ago now, I have always had a desire to get up close and personal with Otters. So when I met Brydon Thomason during my first visit and discovered his Shetland Nature Photographic Holidays, I had at last found my solution and the answer to my encounters with the Otter. It has taken some time to finally make the trip and so it was that my wife and I set-off for Shetland on Friday March 6th, returning on March 14th this year. We stayed at Burrafirth on Unst in the Shetland Nature Lodge and I spent 4 days with Brydon and the Otters and what an experience it turned out to be.

The weather was incredible and the wind relentless, making photography extremely difficult. Fortunately what rain we had was mainly at night. Some very sunny weather on several days, but the wind, often blowing at 50-60 mile per hour, made it the most physically challenging photography sessions I have ever done. Approaching Otters in the right way was extremely hazardous at times, as we often had to make our way very quickly across wet and seaweed covered rocks. With expensive camera gear, CARE and CAUTION were the words of the day. We had Otter encounters on all four days, several different families, including one female with three cubs. I can only describe the encounters at breathtaking and Brydon really does know his stuff. His expertise, patience and guidance was amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed my time and his company. The following results speak for themselves.

My first encounter of the week with an Otter – A female within 50 yards of us, came along the shore to a freshwater stream to drink. Shetland – Tony Davison©

Female Otter – above four images of same female bathing in the fresh water stream – Shetland – Tony Davison©

Day two on Shetland – Above six images of one of two pups that were on the shore in bright sunshine for well over a couple of hours – Tony Davison©