By Tony Norton
At Betty’s Bay we have many wonderful creatures we share the landscape with. One of them which, seldom seen, is the Cape or African Clawless otter. I had the privilege to see one years ago, clambering on the rocks by the seaside. It was wonderful to realise years later that I had also shared this exciting experience with my late grandfather, Maurice Norton. Forty years ago, he wrote a poem sharing the simple joy of the otter he saw frolicking in the waves. (See the poem below the pictures. Ed)
According to wildlife photographer Pete Oxford, who has spent the past four years waiting quietly for them nearly every day, the Betty’s Bay otters do not play much in the waves like they apparently used to in my grandfather’s time. Instead, after feeding on rock lobsters, their main diet, the otters dash straight up the beach for the thick undergrowth, and their dens, as soon as they leave the water. Perhaps, it’s because there are certainly more people on the Betty’s Bay beaches now than there were in the 1970s, when the poem was written. This may have an impact on their behaviour. Also, despite foraging in the sea, these otters still rely on freshwater to drink. An interesting fact that Oxford mentioned, is when they do encounter people the otters are apparently able to differentiate between the dogs on leashes being safer to be around than dogs that are not on leashes.
Continuing the family ‘tradition’, my father recently mentioned he saw a family of otters last year, two adults and two pups, offshore from Betty’s Bay, bobbing on the surface of the sea, before clambering up onto an islet of rock and later slipping back into the water. He described it as a magical experience. Why were they playing offshore rather than close to shore, as they previously did? Perhaps being further away from shore was safer for the pups, away from human disturbance, so there they could play. Is there anything we can do to minimise disruption of their lives? The ‘otter etiquette’ guidelines suggested by the South African National Parks website suggests that people keep their distance, and don’t feed or attempt to touch the otters when they are seen.
I’m sure there are many people who want to see the otters, who want to see the beautiful animals that, as the poem says, “have such FUN in the water”, but we need to maintain a balance between our impact on the animals in the biosphere reserve we live in and the animals’ need to roam. This balance keeps these otters protected. By doing so we can continue to have these enriching experiences.
Above: A picture of otter spoor taken by wildlife photographer Pete Oxford, 9th of May 2025.
Otter
by Maurice Norton
Sand warm
Surface touched by the sun
Warm on back,
Side, shoulder, legs, tail,
Squirm and roll
Twist and turn, side and back,
Sinuous squirming
Writhing, supple-sensuous
Like slippery slide in water
The all-embracing touch of warm sand.
Soft feet slow on sharp rocks
Leaving no tracks
To the sea
Sun glint on sea.
Small nose
Scarce ruffles the surface,
Sudden twist
Grey streak in green water
Flip turning
Undulating round-rolling
Wingless and weightless
Flight through the water.
Small nose
White whiskered on surface,
Bright eyes
Laughing for joy at his play
Did ever an animal
Have such FUN in the water?
Silver shimmer
Effortless dive, streak, turn, dash,
Small nose
With fish tale still twitching
Out on the shore
Body streaming with water
Reluctant sea
Gives up her playmate to the land.
Otters – mysterious and seldom seen, but always cherished.