Are There Otters in the UK? Where to See Wild Otters

Which otters live in the UK?

The UK has only one native otter: the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra). It is a sleek, brown member of the weasel family, about 1–1.2 m (3.3–4 ft) long including its thick tail, and weighs about 7–12 kg (15–26 lb).

The same species lives on rivers, lakes and canals inland and on rocky sea coasts. Coastal otters in Scotland are sometimes called “sea otters”, but they are Eurasian otters that feed in the sea and come ashore to rest, groom and wash in fresh water.

Why did otters almost disappear?

Until the 1950s, otters were found on rivers throughout Britain, despite centuries of persecution and otter hunting with hounds. Then, from the late 1950s, numbers crashed across England, Wales and southern Scotland.

The main cause was a new group of pesticides called organochlorines, especially dieldrin and aldrin, which were used in seed dressings and sheep dips from the mid-1950s. These chemicals washed into rivers, built up in fish and then in the otters that ate them, poisoning them and reducing breeding. PCBs from industry, river pollution, drainage of wetlands, and the clearing of bankside trees and scrub added to the damage.

The first national otter survey of England, carried out in 1977–79, found otter signs at fewer than 6 percent of the sites checked. Otters were left mainly in the southwest, the Welsh borders and parts of northern England, while Scotland, particularly the north and west, kept healthy populations.

How otters came back

Several changes came together:

• The most harmful organochlorine pesticides were restricted and then banned in stages from the 1960s to the 1980s.
• Otters became legally protected in England and Wales in 1978 and in Scotland in 1981, ending otter hunting.
• River water quality improved greatly, so fish numbers recovered.
• Some captive-bred otters were released in eastern England in the 1980s and 1990s to help the recovery there.

Recovery was slow because otters breed slowly, but it was steady. By the fifth national survey of England in 2009–10, otter signs were found at nearly 60 percent of sites. In 2011 the Environment Agency announced that otters had been recorded again in every county of England, with Kent the last to be reached.

Where do otters live in the UK today?

Scotland is the UK stronghold. Otters are found almost everywhere, from city rivers such as Edinburgh’s Water of Leith to remote sea lochs. The coasts of Shetland, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides, Skye and Mull hold some of the highest otter densities in Europe.

England has otters on most river systems again, including urban rivers in cities such as Bristol and Bath. They are still scarcer in parts of the southeast.

Wales has otters on almost all its main rivers, including the Teifi, Wye and Usk.

Northern Ireland has a healthy, widespread population. Otters in Ireland as a whole never declined as badly as in England.

Best places to see wild otters in the UK

Many wildlife trusts and RSPB reserves post recent otter sightings, which are a good guide to where animals are active.

How and when to watch otters

On rivers, the best times are early morning and late evening, especially in winter when days are short. Look for a V-shaped wake moving against the current, a dark head low in the water, or a sinuous back and tail as an otter dives.

On the coast, watch the shoreline when the tide is falling or low. Coastal otters hunt in the shallow kelp, then bring crabs and fish to rocks to eat. If you spot one, stay downwind, keep low and still, and move only when it dives.

Always keep your distance, never follow an otter along the shore or try to approach a holt, and keep dogs on a lead. Disturbing otters at a holt is illegal without a licence.

Signs that otters are around

You are much more likely to find otter signs than to see the animal itself:

• Spraints: small, dark droppings full of fish bones and scales, left on rocks, logs, grassy tussocks and ledges under bridges. Fresh ones are often said to smell like jasmine tea.
• Footprints: rounded prints about 6–7 cm (2.5 in) across, often showing five toes, in mud or sand.
• Feeding remains: crab shells, fish heads or skinned toads on banks and rocks.
• Slides and paths: smooth runs down banks into the water and trails between pools or across headlands.

To learn more about what otters catch, see what do otters eat? Otters are one of several animals that have returned to British rivers; another is the beaver, covered in are there beavers in the UK?