Baby river otters can’t swim.

It’s true: even though they need fresh water to survive, pups are not born with the instinct or ability to navigate their namesake environment. They must be taught to move, dive and hunt in water. Much like human babies, they may even require some encouragement.

“The mothers bring them down to the water and swim around with them. They force them into the water. They grab them by their leg, or their ear, or whatever. They put them into the water and teach them to swim,” explains Megan Isadore, executive director of the Marin-based River Otter Ecology Project.

Lessons begin when the pups are a few months old — which is right about now. Born mid-February through mid-April, young river otters begin dipping their webbed toes in the waters of adulthood, as it were, at the same time locals begin taking to our waterways en masse.

Meet-cutes are inevitable. But it’s important to remember that these playful river-dwellers are also learning valuable life skills.

“People need to be really aware when they’re around baby otters not to get close to them and not to get between them and their mothers,” Isadore says. “River otters are extremely adorable, and they’re clickbait for photographers. But the rule of thumb is that if the otters are looking at you, you’re too close. Use a big lens and back off.”

River otters live all over Sonoma County, a testament to the value of our open spaces and clear waters — from the coast, where they usually hang around the mouths of creeks and rivers; to the interior hills and valleys, where they may be spotted frolicking in vineyard ponds; to the top of the Mayacamas, in parks like Hood Mountain and Sugarloaf Ridge. Another favorite habitat is the Laguna de Santa Rosa, and particularly Santa Rosa Creek, where paths on both sides offer ample viewing opportunities.

River otters were once thought to be lost from much of the rest of the region as a result of trapping, pollution and habitat loss. But today, the outlook is strong.

“They’re very adaptable and very opportunistic,” Isadore says. “They’re becoming an increasingly urban animal all over the Bay Area. River otters here are doing great.”

Even if the babies still need a little help learning to swim.

The post Sonoma County’s Baby River Otters Are Learning How To Swim. It’s the Cutest Thing You’ll See This Summer appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.