toronto wildlife

Adorable Toronto river otter spotted taking a much-deserved swim in Lake Ontario

It's not every day you spot a friendly otter swimming near the shores of downtown Toronto.

Recently, one lucky fisherman caught a glimpse of the charming animal just along the sea walls of the city's Harbour Square Park West.

The park is usually the best place to watch ferries travel back and forth to the Toronto Islands, and it looks like one sweet otter decided to see what all the hype was about.

Avid fisherman Miguel Sousa told blogTO he has encountered many minks throughout his life, but knew this animal was different based on its sheer size.

"This was in my opinion 100 per cent an otter, it was nearly three times the size of a mink," he explained.

The friendly creature was approximately three-feet long, and swam up just in time for Sousa to catch a quick video.

It goes without saying, but if you're lucky enough to spot an otter in Toronto, it's best you keep your distance from these animals.

But, you definitely still can admire them from afar as they cap off the scorching summer with a refreshing swim.

Lead photo by

Miguel Sousa


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

Canada's largest spider is a fearsome predator that grows to 9 cm and lives in Ontario

Motorist ridiculed for driving on Toronto sidewalk but some disagree on who to blame

Toronto man claims thieves now breaking into cars to steal gas pedals in viral video

People holding dead animal bodies turned heads next to busy Toronto destinations

Here's a preview of what it will be like to ride on new Toronto LRT line

There's a brand-new $26M TTC subway station entrance in a popular Toronto park

Ontario's largest snake grows up to 2 metres and squeezes prey to death

Ontario is home to world's oldest pool of water at a staggering 2 billion years old