Otters (Lutra Lutra)

The otter is perhaps the most elusive and mysterious of British wild mammals, it is a member of the mustelidae, a family which includes pine martens, stoats, weasels, polecats and badgers. The male, which is slightly larger than the female measure up to 120 cm (48 in.) or even more in length and can weigh up to 14 kg (30 lb.) 

This pair were photographed at the Otter Trust site in Teesdale, the Trust is a registered charity, founded in 1971. The main aims of the Trust are to encourage the conservation of otters and to date have bred and released over 120 otters into the wild. 

Even though the pair were in an artificial environment I spent a long time watching them to familiarise myself with their movement. I was able to zoom into them and capture an intimate moment as the two basked in the sun drying themselves after a swim. 

Pentax *ist D Sigma 70 - 300mm lens.