August 30, 2026. Lake Tahoe. A swim I had done countless times. And an encounter I never could have imagined.

I have been swimming in Lake Tahoe for 25 years.

I know the water. I know the shoreline. I know how quickly the conditions can change. And I have always respected the lake for what it is: beautiful, powerful and unpredictable.

But I never expected to be attacked by a wild otter.

Here are some of the articles and videos that were published about my story of the otter attack in Lake Tahoe. I never figured shooting a quick video to prove to people that a crazy thing happened to me would get international media attention! There are more - just Google Lynnette Bellin and keep scrolling!

As an Infant Swimming Resource instructor, parents usually come to me with one immediate goal: they want their child to be safer in the water.

That's an important reason to choose ISR. But one of my favorite things about teaching young children is watching them develop something that extends far beyond the swimming pool.

They learn that they can do hard things.

What you need to know as your child advances from Self-Rescue skills to strokes.

When my children were little, summer pool season always brought a mix of joy and anxiety. As a former lifeguard, swim coach, pool manager, and swim instructor, I simply couldn’t look the other way when I saw kids bobbing around in water wings, puddle jumpers, life vests, or swimsuits with built-in flotation.

I never used flotation devices with my own children—because I knew what many parents didn’t: those devices can create a dangerous illusion of safety for both kids and adults.

As a mother of two teens who is deeply passionate about water safety, I’ve experienced the ups and downs of traditional swim lessons. Over the years, I enrolled my children in group lessons, private sessions, and even swim team programs here in Reno-Tahoe. While each had its merits, I often found myself frustrated. My kids spent more time playing at the wall than learning in the water, and their progress was slow.

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