Today's blog post comes from Helen Moncrieff, Shetland Islands Manager
On Monday evening, I was lucky enough to attend a screening of ‘Billy and Molly’ at Shetland’s cinema and music venue Mareel. It was great to see Mareel filled with people of all ages and backgrounds brought together for a good story. Billed as ‘An Otter Love Story’ this absolutely beautiful documentary follows Shetlander Billy and his wife Susan, their dog Jade, and an Otter who joins their family. I won’t give any spoiler alerts but you can watch the official trailer here and the full film will be streamed on National Geographic and other channels soon in May. The film-makers have captured Shetland’s character brilliantly, and Billy and Susan are so generous to have shared their story with us. To me, with its themes of love, compassion, hope and joy ‘Billy and Molly’ feels like a gift that has arrived at just the right time.
An otter chomps on a fish. Photo B.Aucott
Since watching it, I have been reflecting on how Otters have impacted people’s lives, how they connect people, and how a well told story can be so impactful. Tarka the Otter was written nearly 100 years ago and influenced nature writers, including Rachel Carson, and indeed the law. In the 1960s, Ring of Bright Water book and film also influenced naturalists around the world. In the 1980s came ‘On The Tracks of the Wild Otter’. Also billed as a love story between Human and Otter, film-maker Hugh Miles followed Otters on one of our nature reserves in Yell. Advised by the great late Bobby Tulloch, the film and book has influenced wildlife photographers and artists, and I know people who moved to Shetland because of it. Self-confessed Otterholics! Bobby Tulloch, who I think was the sole member of staff for the RSPB back then, generously shared his love and knowledge of Otters, and photography advice and kit. He gave Jan at the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary her first young Otter to rehabilitate some 40 years ago. And he gave a young Charlie Hamilton-James encouragement and a camera lens, and Charlie is the director of ‘Billy and Molly’. Bobby Tulloch’s book ‘Otters’ is on many bookshelves, and another welcome Otter book came recently with ‘Otters in Shetland – The tale of the draatsi’ by Brydon Thomason and Richard Shucksmith – all these story tellers’ love of Otters shine through the words and images, with science and conservation emphasised too. There seems to be an Ottery thread which binds people’s life stories together.
An Otter swimming in the sea. Photo B.Aucott
Like all land mammals, Otter are not native to Shetland - perhaps introduced by the Vikings – but it is hard to imagine a Shetland without them. To get a chance encounter with one, perhaps even in Lerwick, is always a boost to the spirits.I’ve been lucky enough to have Otters as a part of my life forever – spotting their slides in the snow, tracks and signs along the shore, and occasionally getting good views. There was one particular Otter which holds a special place in my heart, with ‘Billy and Molly’ surfacing memories from decades ago. In 1993, on the wild January day that the Braer ran aground spewing tonnes of oil onto the shore, my Mother took our sheepdog on a walk along Scousburgh Sands (aka Spiggie beach aka Coubal Sands) to bank a memory before the oil came. It was probably gusting up to around force 10 that day, with emotions running high and the sand whipped up like a blizzard. Then suddenly, through the storm perhaps attracted to the dog came a tiny poorly Otter. Mom wrapped the Otter up in her coat and took it home without a plan except to look after it until it was able to go back to the wild. Living with an Otter in the house was quite an experience! The desire to treat it as a pet was strong but we had to resist for it to be rehabilitated. We quickly sourced food, advice, antibiotics for the eye infection, and it soon seemed quite normal to have an Otter in the kitchen (much to the dog and cat’s dismay). It was fascinating to see how quickly she learned, you could see her problem solving and working out how to open the door to the food cupboard. One early morning as I was eating my cereal before going volunteering with the wildlife response efforts, Coubal climbed up onto the table. I was nervous of her – Otter’s teeth can do some damage – and she dunked her face in the bowl and gave me a look of disappointment or perhaps even disgust at this non-fishy dish. She then came right up to my face – my heart pounding – and gave me a tiny peck on the cheek then scarpered and hid. I’ve no words for how that felt. After awhile, Coubal went into the care of Jan and her helpers at the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary, then was finally relocated to Yell where she was slowly released and went on to live wild for 3 years. I would be an otterly rotten sister if I didn’t highlight my brother’s efforts for Otters. John has helped with the capture and release of a number of wild Otters over the years, and, unlike me, is a great photographer. As well as fieldcraft and patience for Otter photography, he seem to have a touch of magic for being in the right place at the right time as this image shows.
Top and bottom: photos of Coubal the Otter. Photos H.Moncrieff
There are many ways to help nature and I think story-telling is a powerful one – be that to millions of viewer or simply telling your neighbour your nature news to give them a boost. I first met ‘Billy and Molly’ director Charlie when we volunteered in the wildlife response during the Braer disaster, walking the coast gathering oiled and dead birds and data on the oil and other wild casualties. Since then, it has been great to see has gone on to become a wonderful photographer and story-teller, sometimes capturing harrowing images but stories need to be told to create change. Just like Tarka. Charlie and team, along with the stars of the film – Billy, Susan, Molly and Jade - have created something very beautiful in ‘Billy and Molly’ and I have no doubt that that story will have a positive impact on those who watch it and I hope people find their own stories to tell about their love for nature, with that Ottery thread continuing to bind us.