Isle of Mull, March 2025
After what seemed like a very long dark winter were finally beginning to see signs that spring had arrived. I am not a fan of the winter so spring always lifts my spirits and makes me want to get out with the camera again. How better to get back into the flow than a trip to the Isle of Mull for a few days of otter photography. If I had to choose my favorite animal to photograph it would have to be the otter. It never gets old, every encounter is special and never fails to get my heart pumping with pure adrenalin. I only had four nights booked so needed to make the most of my time. Past trips to Mull at this time of year have given me pretty rough weather but the forecast was looking great for my time there. Now all I had to do was find the otters.
Isle of Mull, July 2025
After a fabulous trip in March I began to feel the call of Mull again a few months later. Another four nights were booked for late July. I also spotted a spare place on a Mull Charters boat trip to photograph white tailed eagles. We quite often visit Mull out of season as I prefer when the island is a little quieter, so boat trips are usually not an option for me. I couldn’t resist the opportunity so I grabbed the available slot as quickly as I could. The boat trip did not disappoint. The light was a little grey but I would rather have grey skies over the heat haze I had been suffering with over the previous few weeks of hot weather.
This trip gave me a few otter sightings where I just didn’t have the opportunity to get close, but there was one opportunity which could have been my favorite otter experience yet. I spotted a pair of otters out in the water at a distance. I decided to watch from my car to see if they would work their way along the shore in my direction. The otters started to play on a small island of rocks and kelp and caught the attention of a group of cars passing by. I watched as three cars full of people pulled up and jumped out excitedly shouting about the otters. My heart sunk as the otters slinked off back into the loch obviously aware they were being watched. Eventually the cars drove off having lost sight of the otters. I waited in the hope they would re-appear and eventually they did. I decided it was probably time to start working my way closer and as I did another car appeared, this time with a wildlife guide and two guests. They jumped out of the car and started working there way towards the otters. I was in two minds whether leave them to it or still go for it. I am so glad I chose the second option. The two otters played in amongst the rocks in front of us with no idea we were there, exactly how it should be.
