15 January 2017

Good spots for Cape Clawless otter?

Hi. We’re going to be in South Africa for a few days in October, and would love to hear of any solid locations for Cape Clawless otter anywhere around the Cape.

These guys feel like a jinx mammal for us – one of only 2 otter species we haven’t seen, in spite of 3 different attempts!

Thanks

Matt & Maureen

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3 Comments

  • 15 January 2017
    tomeslice

    Hey guys,

    I also dipped out despite long, long hours of sitting and waiting near the boat house of De Hoop. But perhaps in De Hoop the picnic site where Jon saw them is a better location – it’s further away from the lodge so less human disturbance. At the boat house people kept coming and going even in the late afternoon and after the sunset. A boat went out to the house on the opposite side of the lake in the afternoon, came back, and then went back out again, making much disturbance. At 4:30am there was no disturbance but still didn’t see anything. Jan Kelchtermans saw otters there, however, on his first trial.

    Cheers, and good luck!
    Tomer

  • 15 January 2017
    Michael Kessler

    I don’t know if that counts as the Cape region, but we saw one within 10 minutes of looking at the pool below Howick Falls, Howick. The locals said the otter was regularly seen there.

  • 22 January 2017
    Matt

    Thanks guys. Reading back through threads and trip reports, it sounds like De Hoop is perhaps the most likely spot near the Cape. There were a few mentions of a B&B near Stellenbosch for cape clawless – did that tip ever pan out? Does anyone have details of the B&B? Cheers.

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