During a recent excursion to Redfish Lake, Idaho, an otter was caught scoping out the territory. The campers noticed the little fellow swimming under the thin layer of ice near the shoreline. After a few passes, the otter used his head to break through surface ice on the frozen lake. Looking directly at the camera as he caught his breath, he seemed to be saying hello to the campers.
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We should note that otters can hold their breath and swim underwater for eight to ten minutes. This little fellow was in no danger of dying when he broke through the ice. A longer video shows the otter breaking through the ice on the frozen lake at several other spots along the shoreline. This portion of his underwater swim was only about thirty seconds.
Redfish Lake, near Stanley, Idaho, is a hidden gem within the Sawtooth National Forest. The area includes year-round recreational opportunities. These hardy campers visit when the lake is thawing, but still has a thin layer of surface ice.
Otters are primarily nocturnal, so this daytime sighting was incredible in itself. They are active at dusk, dawn, and throughout the night. The type of otter found at Redfish Lake is the Northern River Otter. This species averages 22 to 42 inches long and weighs between 10 and 30 pounds. Northern River Otters can live eight to nine years and remain active year-round. They mate in March through late April, so this little otter may have been cruising the frozen lake looking for a mate.
Arizona-based DK posted the original video of the otter on a frozen lake. He is a scenery guy with some incredible landscape videos. His TikTok page has many graphically edited videos.
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