Rolling and tumbling and playing in the water, or floating on their backs and enjoying the sunshine, there's always plenty to enjoy when there's an otter about. The Broads has so much wildlife to admire; it's just a matter of knowing where to look.
When was the last time you saw a kingfisher, a heron or even a dragonfly?
Head to the Broads and visitors could spot all three – and much more, too.
The Broads Outdoors Festival is encouraging families, walkers, photographers, cyclists and water lovers to get out and enjoy it.
And while there's plenty to do, from enjoying the many walks and trails to the cycle paths, boardwalks and fun afloat, there is even more to see.
A quarter of Britain's rarest species are found in the Broads. With 11,000 different species making their homes here, 66 of those are so special to the Broads that they occur almost nowhere else in the UK.
The best known is the stunning swallowtail butterfly, with a wingspan almost as long as a mobile phone. Its striking yellow and black markings, with the forked swallow-like tail marked with red and blue eyes, are easily recognisable.
They can be spotted typically from mid-May to mid-June, particularly at How Hill National Nature Reserve, Hickling Broad National Nature Reserve, Ranworth Broad and Strumpshaw Fen.
The latter is particularly known for its abundance of swallowtail butterflies, and a nectar garden close to the car park means many visitors even spot one before they've got out of the car!
But otters are often the favourite for Broads visitors, who can barely believe these adorable looking furry creatures are living wild on the waterside.
Nocturnal, and rather shy, they can be tricky to spot. Look out at dawn and dusk, particularly around Ranworth Broad and Norfolk Wildlife Trust's (NWT) Barton Broad.
However, there's an increasingly brave romp, or family, of otters at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, near Brundall.
Site manager Tim Strudwick says the reserve's otters are becoming easier to see, sunbathing and playing in the sunshine.
'All of a sudden we had a female with her young starting to come out in front of the hide during the day and now there are several of them who come out in the sunshine.
'People do love them and, if you come regularly you are certainly going to see them.
'They are becoming less and less frightened of people and photographers are getting some brilliant pictures of them,' says Tim.
Within a stone's throw, well, a 15 minute car drive, of the east side of Norwich, Strumpshaw Fen is one of the best known Norfolk reserves for photographers and families looking for wildlife on their doorstep.
'We do have a lot here to see, particularly in the spring,' says Tim. And with the Broads Outdoors Festival in May, it's a perfect time to visit.
'There is all sorts of wildlife here as well as some fantastic plants,' says Tim, adding that visitors are invited to explore the wildflower meadows too.
Do take a camera, and if you don't know what you've spotted, show the photos to a warden or the receptionists and they should be able to identify it for you.
Children are welcome to pond dip at any time, with pond-dipping nets available.
Elsewhere in the Broads there is plenty more wildflife to enjoy for those willing to explore.
Dawn and dusk are the best times to find the cute teddy-bear faced Chinese water deer. They are only about 50 cms tall at the shoulder so can hide in tall reeds and grass.
They are often spotted at NWT Hickling Broad and NWT Upton Broad and Marshes.
Hickling is also home to small furry creatures such as the harvest mouse, possibly the cutest of all the mice. It's the only British animal which can use its tail like a fifth limb, wrapping it around plant stems to help it climb.
While found in corn fields – hence the name – it likes reed beds, too, so do look closely in the Broads.
It can be easier to listen out for some creatures and then try and spot where the noise is coming from! Kingfishers, for instance, can be seen around the Broads all year round. Listen for the shrill whistle they make in flight.
Barn owls may be hunting at Hickling Broad, along with the long-legged common crane, which is also seen flying and feeding around Horsey and Winterton.
Wait a few months and, between November and February at the Stubb Mill raptor roost viewpoint, cranes can be seen coming in to roost at sunset. That's a prime site for hen harrier, merlin, barn own and marsh harriers too.
The wealth of wildlife in the Broads is down to the diversity of habitats with six rivers, over 60 lakes, fens, grazing marsh, dykes and wet woodland.
Thanks to the Broads large scale fen management and water quality improvement, some rare species are returning, among them bittern, otter and the marsh harrier.
One of our largest and rarest dragonflies, the Norfolk hawker, symbol of the Broads Authority, is one of the success stories. It has spread steadily, re-colonising former sites and may be seen hovering over the reed-fringed dykes of the Broads Authority's wildlife water trail at How Hill, on Hickling Broad and Upton Broad and Marshes until mid July.
Take your binoculars, cameras or simply your sharp eyes – and get spotting!
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