Chattahoochee River Otters 2

I came across a family of otters playing among some rocks on the bank of the Chattahoochee River a few years back.
Otters are some of the rarest animals to see along the river as they are almost constantly moving. I saw this family from several hundred yards away as they made their way down the river. I followed this family in my kayak for a while before they stopped along these rocks and I was able to safely get close enough to film with my big lens.
Filming from a kayak on a river like the Chattahoochee has many challenges as you can imagine! The video is shakier than I would prefer (Adobe Premiere Pro helped stabilize it some), but you have to float the river that is, not the one you wish for!
These otters were most likely "scent-making" to communicate via odors to other otters. The rocks' prominence above the river and non-porous surface would ensure the otters' scent could be spread in the wind as far as possible. You can read more about otters and "scent-making" here: tinyurl.com/y7...
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[@cavyhodoo]

I like the sound of the water

[@HarrisAClayton]

it is very relaxing!

[@microbios8586]

I just saw a post on Reddit asking about otters in the Chattahoochee. I've lived in Atlanta most of my life...I had no idea. I've never seen one.

[@HarrisAClayton]

They are all over! They only surface for just a bit and move around quite a bit so they can be easy to miss

[@trevorlahey9329]

Where these guys at!?

[@HarrisAClayton]

I rarely see otters in the same place twice. They're always swimming up and down the river, stopping for just a moment. I got really lucky for this shot.

[@LeeNobody]

Where do you put in to see them?

[@HarrisAClayton]

I put in using the boat ramps in the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area just north of Atlanta. The otters move around quite a bit (they can travel 26 miles in a day!) so it's very hit or miss if there are otters around

[@LeeNobody]

Do you know which specific boat ramp it was at?