Otters, Hides & Lakeside Walks: A Day at WWT Martin Mere

We’ve visited WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre near Ormskirk several times now, and even if you aren't an avid birdwatcher, it remains a fantastic location for a peaceful outdoor walk.

Heading over, I was slightly concerned the site might be packed out. Martin Mere had recently featured in local news updates highlighting the arrival of thousands of starlings preparing for their evening murmurations—the breathtaking natural spectacle where vast flocks sweep across the twilight sky in synchronized, shape-shifting waves. While witnessing a starling murmuration is incredible, seeing it requires staying through until dusk. Since we arrived around midday with a busy schedule ahead, the starlings were off the agenda for this trip.

Apart from enjoying the crisp air and open trails, our main highlight is always visiting the resident Asian short-clawed otters.

Otters are almost perpetually full of energy and playfulness. On previous visits, we’ve watched them sprint in endless circles around their enclosure—one enthusiastically chasing the other until the trailing otter realizes cutting straight across the middle is the winning shortcut, prompting the leader to reverse direction entirely!

On this visit, things were a bit quieter, but watching them during feeding time is always brilliant entertainment. As soon as the fish buckets appear, the playful chasing immediately shifts into high gear as they dive and forage for lunch.

Beyond the otter enclosure, one of the best routes on-site is the walking loop through the bulrushes and reedbeds surrounding the main lake.

On a clear, bright day, walking out among the rustling reeds offers fantastic vantage points back toward the main observation hides and across the open water. For wildlife and photography enthusiasts, the path connects to secondary hides overlooking broad wetland waters that are typically packed with a huge variety of migratory birds, geese, and swans throughout the year.

Location: WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre, Burscough, Lancashire.
Subject: Waterfowl, Active Wildlife & Wetland Landscapes.
Photographing Fast-Moving Wildlife & Birds:
Shutter Speed for Active Otters: Fast-moving animals like otters require high shutter speeds ($1/1000\text{ s}$ or faster) to freeze motion and water splashes during feeding time.
Framing Wildlife Through Hides: When shooting from inside bird hides, rest your lens collar on a beanbag or soft support on the window ledge to stabilize long telephoto lenses ($300\text{mm} - 500\text{mm}$) without introducing camera shake.