Swim and Play With the Most Adorable Otters at This Texas Ranch

Animal lovers who are looking to get up close and personal with wildlife are in for an otterly awesome treat at this Texas ranch and resort.

Located 86 miles north of Austin, the 150-acre Blue Hills Ranch Resort provides a variety of animal excursions, including swim time with two adorable Asian small-clawed otters named Otto and Sweet Pea.

The swimming excursion takes place in the otters’ private bubbling jaccuzzi, and visitors are given the unique chance to swim, play, and feed the otters their favorite treats including fish popsicles and shrimp. The experience is only available to those 12 and over, with a minimum of two participants and maximum of six people per swim. The 60 minute swim time costs $200 per person.

“People really love it. The response has been great.” the ranch’s team told Travel + Leisure recently. The resort highly encourages booking in advance, as dates have begun to fill up as word of the otter swim gains popularity.

The swim with otters have become popular on social media, and the Ranch’s Instagram shows adorable videos of the otters interacting with staff and guests.

If swimming with otters isn’t quite your speed, the resort has other unique animal experiences. The resort offers a special dinner with Giraffes, which lasts one hour and includes a full menu of wine, salad, charcuterie board, and dessert. The dinner date with Giraffes starts at $400 per person. 

The Blue Hills Ranch & Resort has a variety of accommodations for overnight guests, including animal and pirate themed cabins which range in price from $100-$500 per night. The resort is also home to other animals including zebras, kangaroos, mini donkeys, camels, pigs, an african tortoise, and more.