I enjoy seeing beaver. It is a good indicator of wild country. I enjoy seeing otter even more. I like when a group of them swim around the boat.
A few years ago on a raft trip in Oregon, a mink and an otter surfaced at the same time right next to my paddle. It was like a window into the wild having those eyes staring back at me.
Twenty years ago, on the Klamath River in CA, my brother brought his Dachshund along on a raft trip. We floated past a whole family of otters on shore and they were very upset by the dog's appearance and chastised him for being on their river. Later Dieter Bob, got pitched out of the boat and swam a Class III. Later he chased a bear out of camp with back up from my two cow dogs.