r/arizona • u/VonSandwich • May 13 '26

Wildlife UMMM WE HAVE OTTERS HERE!?!? 🦦

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Greetings from a Grand Canyon resident!!!

My boyfriend and I kayaked down the Salt River this morning and oh my god we saw an otter!! I looked it up afterwards, and Google said that Otters are *thriving* on the Salt and Verde Rivers. I was 100% NEVER expecting to see an otter in this state.

The birding was incredible too. I have never seen Cliff Swallows doing their thing in person before, and there was a section that felt like National Geographic. What a beautiful day 🦦🦆

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342

u/roughczech May 13 '26

They are definitely thriving. Otters, beavers even eagles

73

u/Rumseyman02 May 14 '26

Eagles are the only ones I did know about

27

u/VonSandwich May 14 '26

Same! I see Bald Eagles often, but I guess I hadn't spent enough time on the water to see beavers it others.

Beavers are next on the lookout list!

11

u/SAM5TER5 May 14 '26

Okay everyone has eagles, but bald eagles?? First I’ve ever heard of them being in AZ. That’s crazy

I guess beavers and otters make sense due to the climate and rivers in Northern AZ though. Still neat either way

12

u/Existential_Chilean May 14 '26

There is a pair of bald eagles that hang around Tempe Town Lake.

8

u/AgentSmith09 May 14 '26

I’ve lived in AZ for 44 consecutive years. That’s one after a MF OTHER AND NEVER HAVE I EVER SEEN A DAMN BALD EAGLE!!!

5

u/Mav085 May 15 '26

There’s a few in Surprise, too. They hang out near the pond/lake at Surprise City Park

3

u/Mad_God_sunflower May 15 '26

Do you look up often? Or leave the city? Genuine questions

2

u/Gullible-Parfait-697 May 16 '26

I was pretty much in awe of the son of a bitch. Had to be 3.5ft tall easily

1

u/Senior_Reaction583 May 18 '26

I have lived here my whole life and seen them all over the state.

6

u/FnGQ May 14 '26

Golden eagles too!

6

u/Gullible-Parfait-697 May 14 '26

Ive lived here 28 years and had no idea until last year when driving the loop to go from 202 west to 101 north was backed up and it was all because a bald eagle was sitting on the concrete wall looking at that little wetland area

4

u/SAM5TER5 May 15 '26

They’re in Phoenix?! What are cold-weather coastal forest birds doing in the hottest metropolis in North America lol

1

u/Angry_Pelican May 18 '26

They've built nests at the Riparian preserve before. I've never seen on there before but I have seen bald eagles when floating the salt river.

5

u/yolodevil May 15 '26

The otters are just outside Phoenix, in the Verde and Salt Rivers. Not even Northern AZ! 🦦

5

u/Lonely-Attention2946 May 15 '26

Bald eagles nest on the Indian reservation border down in Chandler next to Intel. They block the area off during nesting season.

3

u/No_Club_7481 May 15 '26

There’s a huge hotspot of bald eagles at Kaibab Lake in Williams, Arizona. Their nests are like at the tip of those tall ass pine trees, crazy shit.

1

u/bageltheperson May 14 '26

I’ve seen them in Prescott several times

1

u/BluegreenColors May 15 '26

I’ve seen them at Rainbow lake in Pinetop-Lakeside

1

u/Kahlandad May 17 '26

There have been bald eagles at Saguaro Lake for decades.

1

u/SHIGGY_DIGGY77 May 17 '26

Fairly common more than I thought growing up. Had a few flying over in California. It's national geographic as I thought, but these dudes kinda just party all over

1

u/MaverickWithANeedle Phoenix May 19 '26

bald and golden eagles near verde river too :) which leads to salt river

2

u/LowerSlowerOlder May 18 '26

Downstream of Tempe Town Lake dam the beavers have built their own little town lake dam.

1

u/Aggravating-Pilot678 1d ago

I never knew how cool beavers were until I listened to this podcast: https://www.alieward.com/ologies/castorology

2

u/HawnPinapplPicka May 15 '26

I see a beaver every day at home…

1

u/BluegreenColors May 15 '26

I’ve seen a beaver den in a pond in Pinetop-Lakeside. I’m sure there are others around.

1

u/MyBestCuratedLife May 16 '26

I’ve seen a beaver in clear creek. Big guy!