On Wednesday, a hungry otter searched the Eel River for food. [All photos by Ann Constantino. To follow her explorations of wildlife, click here and Friend her.]
The otter dove beneath the water. When it came up, it was hard to tell who had who. The lamprey had wrapped around the otter who had the lamprey in its mouth.
The otter drug the lamprey onto the bank while it continued to struggle.
The struggle continued for some time.
Here, the otter is still gnawing on the tail as the lamprey’s head can be seen below.
Then the lamprey almost escaped. It slipped into the water but the otter was right behind.
Prey recovered, and the otter continues gnawing on the lamprey’s tail.
Then the lamprey slips away again.
The otter recovers the lamprey and continues munching while the lamprey is still alive and thrashing.
Delicious!
After partially finishing the lamprey, the otter let the leftovers sink back into the water and swam away, taking a look in the photographer’s direction as if to say, “Did I get all the crumbs out of my mustache?”
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I love the drama of nature. Lucky you to have witnessed such an entertaining encounter!
It is called the Eel River👍
🕯Nature at it’s best, thank you Kym and Ann for the photos. 👍🏾
One of my favorite moments of my life was walking on the river bar on Dutyville and I accidentally snuck up on an otter snacking on a fish. We we’re right next to each other when we noticed each other at the same time and scared each other!
We live in the most beautiful place.
Marvelous.
Something to consider when thinking of all farm raised meat as cruel. Wild animals do not curl up in their easy chair and die in their sleep.
Force feeding geese to make Fois Gras is cruel. Raising farm animals humanely isn’t. Injecting tons of chemicals into animals is cruel. Raising them as a valued resource isn’t.
That is awesome. Nice cute little otter has got some Chompers! Look at those snappers will ya!
Those teeth are effin terrifying
Guest, I am thinking the same thing, DFW is in the process of issuing a restraining order against the otter. unlawful use of a legal Eel that came here from another country, But now has legal alien status and has the right to protection from the conservative otters, who have been wearing their MAGA hats. Stupid I know but us humans are doing the same child like actions.
Kym, you might been too young to remember this [you were about 5 years old], but your father, Neil, said, “Hey, the “Indians” used to eat eels, let’s go get one and eat it.” So he and I went down to Benbow dam and pulled two lampreys off the dam with a garden rake, put them in a burlap gunny sack and took them home. Your mother, Myrna, put them in the oven. Soon, this awful stench and ugly dark smoke poured out of the even as the greasy slime began to cook. I mean the smell was REALLY horrible! When your mother took it out of the oven, no one would taste it. Your dad offered it to the dog and the dog wouldn’t touch it. He then offered it to the cat and the cat wouldn’t touch it either. So, we threw it down over the hill for the wild critters to eat. I know Native Americans used to eat them, so I will just say we did not know how to cook them. I don’t think I want to know.
I remember this clearly. It is one of my earlier memories. I remember standing outside the house gagging at the smell. It sort of smelled like rubber burning.
Have talked with Native Americans and gringos who swear they are delicious smoked.
Bottom of food chain most nutritious.burning fat on red elements or gas ,gross.
Did you gut them?
Eels taste great fried in butter with soy and garlic, but IDK about lampreys.
Lampreys are not eels.
Eels have so many nerve endings that the pieces of meat still wiggle around a bit by themselves in the frying pan. My grandfather (on the east coast) used to catch eels and keep them in a deep kitchen sink until they were ready to be cooked. I used to play with them as a kid- trying to keep them in the sink. They are fascinating creatures. Too bad most of the waters they live in now are polluted.
Otters are amazing… adorable lil’ watershed gangsters – They really get after it! Gawd, these are awesome photos thanks for sharing them.
Unfortunately pileated woodpeckers and otters are still used for regalia so it’s good to keep quiet about your spots. $100 for a pecker head and about $1.000 for otter
You smoke eels. Thats how you eat them.
Are you talking eels or lampreys?
PS. The only reason we have our rivers , at least the trinity river is because of our tribal members
Yes, without them water would no longer flow downhill under the force of gravity. Thank you tribal members.
“North west on Otterly Delicious! said: PS. It’s usually white guys that kill…”
You sound biased.
😂
This is an amazing sequence. Thank you.
Ullr R.
I do know. I was a hook tender for years. One area we logged had a true albino deer. We had an all Indian crew and they all wanted to have her hide but none wanted to kill her. It was a local WC speed freak that did then sold her beautiful white skin. As for the trinity river Yes , the Hupa tribe saved it from more dams and water theft
You could have easily relplaced “white” with “speed freak”. Perhaps if the Indian crew didn’t want the hide the deer would not have been poached. I take issue with broad generalizations thrown out around identity and identity politics. Each one of us, regardless of genetic make up, are individually responsible for our actions in this life.
I do appreciate the Hupa effort in getting the treaty recognized for how much water should be let out at Lewiston.
💕🐾
Ullr R. Sorry about the confusion. WC ment Willowcreek NOT white guy. Even though he was
I referenced the comment you (apparently ) edited.
Speaking of Otter and his unlicensed kill, that reminds me. Remember last February 2nd, how we all cheered Punxatawney Phil’s prediction? Well, the groundhog is currently in Hawaii awaiting extradition to Minnesota on fraud and lying charges, according to his lawyers.
ullr r. Did you figure that or did Kym tell ya. Haha. You Goofy. When I know how to delete messages you’ll be the first one to know
No, Kym didn’t tell me. It’s an artifact of Kym’s new coding for her site (very annoying btw). It shows me old versions of her site if I don’t jump around and force it to update.
FYI “reply” to my comment (push ‘reply’) to maintain a coherent thread. If you just type into the bottom window your comment goes to the bottom.
Thanks coach but I don’t speak computer talk let alone what yer talking. I’m having fun tho😊
I’ve never cooked or smoked Eel, but my Yurok friends make sure I eat my share. It kind of grows on you.
Great photos Anne, thanks for sharing!