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04/14/2006: "Displaced Otter Confused In Friday Harbor"

(Photo: Tim Daniel)
A river otter in Friday Harbor has been searching for a building that no longer exists. While old time islanders have noted the decline of wildlife where home owners have cut away the brush and undergrowth that provides food, nesting and a harbor of safety for the many varieties of wildlife in the county, it may come as a surprise to some that the tearing down of the old buildings to make way for the new "money boxes" (as one local wag calls them: those flat-topped modern buildings designed to maximize the profit potential of commercial land) can also have an effect on our resident critters.

A family of otters have used a small building next to the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor as a place to nest and breed an unknown number of generations. For the last four years, Allegra and husband Chris Staudt, owners of nearby Vinny's Restaurant, have observed the otters returning each spring to start a new family under the Thai Kitchen building. Allegra said that when the operators of the Thai Kitchen became aware of the family, some of the workers would put food out for the otters. The Thai Kitchen was recently demolished by the owners of the Friday Harbor House hotel, to make room for more rooms in the hotel This week the otter showed up.

Allegra said the otter was clearly bewildered and confused, running back and forth looking for the house. At one point it went up to one of the doors of the hotel and was scratching on a door, although it was, of course, not clear if the otter was looking for lodging, or was attempting to gain entry in order to lodge a formal complaint to management. In any case, it then started roaming around in the street, at which point Allegra was also out in the street trying to herd the poor thing back toward the shoreline.

For anyone who has had an Otter family living under their house, they will know at least three things: they are wonderful to watch; they create an un-bearable smell under, and in the house; and they are very persistent about attempting to re-gain entry if their access is blocked. So If you see an otter on the streets of Friday Harbor, you will now know what it is doing there; and why.