At first I thought it was a fish in the river but then I realized it was a beaver 🦫 🇨🇦

I’m in Fort McMurray on the Clearwater River.
I’m strolling around enjoying the beautiful morning from a dock.

I was pulling some discarded fishing line from the shrubs when I noticed something splashing in the river.

At first I thought bear, then fish and as I watched it make erratic movements in the water, I knew it was a beaver.

Just before the beaver submerge, if they are spooked, they will slap the water with their tail as a defense mechanism to scare off a potential predator. You will be surprised how far they will swim underwater when they pop up again very far from where they went down.

I believe the beaver was sunbathing under the dock I was standing on and I scared it.

You scared me too buddy.