
This is the astonishing moment that a wildlife spotter watched an otter catch a 4ft conger eel off the west coast of Scotland.

Gordon Yates, 69, a photographer from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, was on the Isle of Mull last week searching for sea eagles.

But he got a shock when he noticed a female otter splashing at the water’s edge and saw her haul the huge conga eel from the water.

The otter was not even as big as its catch and battled the eel to the death. It is thought she was catching it to feed a kit she had with her.

Mr Yates said: ‘It took her a while to pull the eel out of the water - I thought maybe she had caught a big crab at first.

‘But then she hauled out this 4ft-long conger eel, one of the most vicious creatures in the sea. I couldn’t believe it when she pulled it out.

'It just kept coming. You could tell she wasn’t letting go of where she had hold of it in case it turned on her with those teeth.’

Battle: This the moment that a photographer watched an otter catch a 4ft conger eel on the Isle of Mull off the west coast of Scotland.

Spotted: Wildlife photographer Gordon Yates, 69, of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, was on the island last week searching for sea eagles

Animal fight: The photographer noticed a female otter splashing at the water’s edge and saw her haul the huge conga eel from the water

Hunting: The otter spotted on the Isle of Mull in Scotland was not even as big as its catch and battled the eel to the death

Got you: The photographer said it took the otter some time to pull out the eel, and he 'thought maybe she had caught a big crab at first'

Watching on: It is thought the otter was catching the conger eel to feed a young kit she had with her on the island

Astonishing moment: Mr Yates said he 'couldn’t believe it when she pulled it out' of the water, and that 'it just kept coming'