Shetland is renowned for its amazing natural landscape and wildlife. Yet the award-winning documentary, Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story, shares a tale that goes beyond most naturalists’ wildest dreams.
This beautiful film observes the extraordinary bond between a Shetland man (Billy) and an otter (Molly). In doing so, it captures the islands’ wild beauty and the scope they offer for unique wildlife encounters.
Billy, a native of Shetland, returned from Aberdeen in 2018 with his wife Susan, seeking a slower, simpler life.
"We loved Shetland, and we had a cottage here. Circumstance led us into jobs [in Shetland] and we thought, let’s go home and have a go," he explains.
Although the couple were delighted to be in Shetland, personal loss and the impact of Covid marred the tranquillity of the new life they’d planned.
Billy recalls: “We moved back to Shetland for a quieter life. But when we arrived here, we found we needed to extend our cottage and make it slightly bigger [..] and anybody who's ever done any kind of building work anywhere will know that it's pretty stressful.
Life was soon to become even more unsettled. “My dad was ill and then he died. And then Covid took my mum. So, it was actually a pretty full-on period of our life.”
Billy and Susan’s story with Molly the otter began on a quiet day by the seashore, just ten metres from their home. Billy recalls, "I was standing, looking out the window and there was an otter fishing in the sea in front of the house. I nipped down the pontoon while she was under the water, sat down where she’d been coming out, and just waited to see how close she would come."
Billy sensed immediately that Molly was special. He recalls: “I knew there was something different. And it turned out what was different was [that] she was absolutely starving. I mean she was really hungry. I could see she was thin. She was weak, but she had a sparkle in her eye.”
Otters are notoriously timid, and the moment of eye contact between the man and the otter was the start of a deep and unexpected connection.
This connection was not only transformative for Billy but also for Susan, who initially watched these interactions from a safe distance. She observed the bond developing between Billy and Molly, noting, "When Molly started associating food with Billy, she then started trusting him."
As the relationship between man and otter developed, this trust deepened on both sides. However, Billy never forgets that Molly is a wild animal, and therefore unpredictable. He says: “At the end of the day, she's still got her wild nature. So we have to respect that for our own good and for her”.
The film project itself was a significant undertaking. Not only did a camera crew move into Billy and Susan’ s home for eighteen months, but the filming itself involved early mornings and long days to capture the fleeting moments with Molly. "It was good fun, but it was hard work. We were up at half five in the morning in the summer in case she turned up” Billy explains.
The effort to document these moments was intensified by the couples’ full-time jobs. Despite the hard work, Billy and Susan enjoyed the experience of working alongside the film crew, as well as locals such as Richard Shucksmith, Ivan Hawic, Renzo Spiteri, and Nick McCaffrey.
For Billy, the film gives a real sense of how accessible Shetland’s wildlife is to locals and visitors. He says: “You’re never far away from wildlife here. Whether it's otters, seals, birds, rabbits, hedgehogs, you name it. That doesn't mean to say they're going to become your best friend and come and take food from your hand. And to be honest, that's probably not something I would encourage with a wild animal.”
This constant proximity to wildlife is one of Billy’s favourite things about life in Shetland. One of his regular pastimes is sitting outside, listening to the sounds of the natural world. He says: “There are so many different sounds: birds, seals and even otters, if you know what you're listening for.
“An Otter Love Story” is not just about wildlife though; it's about the profound impact of returning to nature's basics. As Billy says: “This film, and all the stuff that’s happening as a result of it is exciting, of course. But Molly’s still there and she still comes back and says, guys, don’t forget what’s important. It’s food and shelter and warmth. Forget the material stuff.”
He adds: “It’s just nice to see how happy Molly can be when her basic needs are being met. She doesn’t need any more than that.”
Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story, will be available on Disney+ from the 14th of November and air on National Geographic on the 15th of November at 8pm.