• Olympic: Three Parks in One

    Olympic

    National Park Washington

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  • Changes to Visitor Services Due to Sequestration

    Due to mandatory, across the board budget cuts, some visitor services at Olympic National Park have changed. See the Plan Your Visit section for more information.

  • Hurricane Ridge Road Closure for guard-rail work

    Tueday, June 18 (6:00 AM - 11:00 AM)

  • Olympic Hot Springs Road Closed

    The Elwha Valley's Olympic Hot Springs Road is closed to public entry beyond the Altair Campground during removal of the Glines Canyon Dam. Olympic Hot Springs is not accessible from the Elwha.

  • Elwha River Closures

    Boating is prohibited on the Elwha River between Upper Lake Mills Trail and Altair Campground.

River Otter

A river otter lying on a rock and eating a fish in the Strait of Juan de Fuca

A river otter feasts on a fish near the northern coast of the peninsula.

Ken and Mary Campbell

River Otter - Lutra canadensis

Identification:
River otters are common along the Pacific coastal section of the park, where they are often mistaken for sea otters. Much smaller than sea otters, the weigh about 30 pounds. They have small ears, plenty of whiskers, and are generally brown with silvery bellies. Their webbed feet allow them to be the excellent swimmers that they are.

Habitat:
River otters are often found on lakeshores, riverbanks, and the outer coast of the peninsula. They are commonly seen in intertidal areas close to shore where they forage for food. River otters spend much less time in the water than sea otters do.

Diet:
River otters feed mainly on crayfish, fish, and small rodents.

Back to Terrestrial Mammal Species List
Back to Marine Mammal Species List

Did You Know?

closeup of cow elk face

Olympic National Park protects the largest unmanaged herd of Roosevelt elk in the world. Olympic was almost named "Elk National Park" and was established in part to protect these stately animals.