Animal Adventures - Vermilion Lakes River Otter

Created in early 2025, this piece merges my long-standing favorite spot in Banff National Park with a unique encounter with a rare animal in the region.

I have been drawn back to the Vermilion Lakes area repeatedly for over 14 years. My fascination with this place began during a vacation before I relocated to the west. The lakes were breathtaking, and the surrounding landscape was awe-inspiring. Throughout my time in the Canadian Rockies, I have encountered grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, elk, moose, coyotes, deer, foxes, and numerous birds around the Vermilion Lakes. However, in 2017 at the 3rd Vermilion Lake, I witnessed visitors I had never seen before, a family of river otters. Although they didn't stay long that year and their ice hole was quite distant from the shore, seeing them was an incredible experience.

Fast Forward to winter 2024/2025, a family of river otters had returned to the 2nd Vermilion Lakes. This time, they stayed for a while, increasing the chances of spotting them, and their holes in the ice were nearer to the shore, providing better photography opportunities. Observing them was fascinating, especially seeing how they reacted to their surroundings. For instance, they would jump and stop eating when someone closed a car door. It was a powerful reminder of how humans impact the natural world in ways we often don't notice.

I selected the view of Mt. Rundle and Sulphur Mountain from the third lake at Vermilion Lakes for the river otter artwork to honour the first time I saw river otters in that region.

• The Vermilion Lakes River Otter on the ice at the 3rd Vermilion Lakes in Banff National Park looking for a hole in the ice.

You can purchase your own Vermilion Lakes River Otter here: https://www.tenpeaksdesigns.com/product-page/vermilion-lakes-river-otter