Otter munching on a crab

Knowing their ecology, behaviour and stretches of coastline they use increases your chances of finding and photographing them tenfold. With that in mind, as with just about any wildlife experience, I understand the importance of local knowledge. I’ve been fortunate to have been out looking for otters with Brydon Thomason, well known as an otter expert through programmes like BBC Springwatch and Countryfile as well as having co-authored ‘Otters in Shetland - the tale of the draatsi’ (a book I strongly recommend to read if you share an interest in otters - www.shetlandnature.net/otters/otter-book), and John Moncrieff, another otter expert with a stunning portfolio of images of these elusive creatures, local to Shetland with a deep understanding of their behaviour and wildlife ethics. I’ve learnt an awful lot about what to look for in tracking otters, how to approach unseen and, ultimately, how to achieve images of them without disturbance. I’ve also been fortunate enough to watch and photograph them in different locations on Unst, Yell and the Shetland mainland.