I have been meaning to return to Mull to spend a week working with the otters for sometime now but something always seemed to get in the way. As chance would have it I had a blank 10 days a week or so ago so quickly took the opportunity to return once again to this magical isle.

The forecast during the week was not the best though it never promised heavy rain. However, grey skies dominated but I did have 2 periods of blue, both short lived!

Working with wild otters is never easy but this is one of the best wildlife challenges and probably the one I love the most.

I had been told there were no females with cubs in any of the usual spots and from what I saw this was true. My approach is to patrol all likely areas until I spot an otter, usually at sea fishing. If possible I get into position and watch and follow as it fishes, at times moving quite long distances along the shore line. If the animal manages to catch something large then hopefully it will swim to shore and if my stalking skills work, I am in position to photograph the otter as it comes ashore and feeds.

I found a number of different otters over the week, a couple of large dog otters and a number of females. Not all stalks work. Some times the otter works itself round a headland and by the time I have got round, hopefully unseen, it has disappeared. Occasionally other humans don’t help much. On one such occasion I was hidden on the shore line amongst the seaweed watching a young-ish female otter fishing 10 meters of shore. She was not aware I was there when a large black 4x4 pulls up on the road 50 metres away, a big bloke gets out and shouts to all inside ‘Look, there’s an otter!’ well not for long, it promptly sank and I never saw it again, Cheers!!!

As with most wildlife photography if you put the time in the rewards will usually follow and I had 2 or 3 really good encounters, I just can’t wait to return! To those who I met during my stay, Hi, I hope you like the images and they remind you of just what a fantastic animal and place this is.