Giant Otters... and me!!

[Ed Rotberg]

Well, I had planned to post these a few weeks ago, but sometimes life just doesn't co-operate. This will be my last post of photos from Guyana.

Anyhow here are some photos of the group of Giant Otters known as the K-Group, the only group of wild otters that we actually saw (as opposed to saw signs of).

Following those photos are some taken of me with Sappho, one of the otters being rehabilitated at the Karanambu Ranch for eventual re-introduction into the wild. Those photos were taken by Dr. Nicole Duplaix (obviously), who is not only a world famous biologist, but a professional photographer for National Geographic. She asked that if I posted them, to make sure that they were not usable if copied, so I added the watermark. Also, I did all of the processing of those images, so if something looks not-so-good, it's probably something I did.

Enjoy!

= Ed =

First, the K-Group:
http://www.edrotberg.org/images/K-Group%202.jpg
http://www.edrotberg.org/images/K-Group%203.jpg
http://www.edrotberg.org/images/K-Group%204.jpg
http://www.edrotberg.org/images/K-Group%205.jpg
http://www.edrotberg.org/images/K-Group%206.jpg

And finally Sappho and me:

http://www.edrotberg.org/images/Sappho%20Jump%201.jpg
http://www.edrotberg.org/images/Sappho%20Jump%202.jpg
http://www.edrotberg.org/images/Sappho%20Jump%203.jpg
http://www.edrotberg.org/images/Sappho%20Jump%204.jpg
http://www.edrotberg.org/images/Sappho%20Jump%205.jpg

[ssim]

Those are great shots Ed. I know the otters that I have seen in captivity here have teeth that look like they could rip your hand off quite easily. Weren't you a little worried about getting bit when you were feeding it.

Great series and thanks for sharing.

[RbrtPtikLeoSeny]

Awesome pictures! Kinda goofy looking otters. Never seen any that look quite like that. They're still cute though. Good work.

[Sicily1918]

Wow they're cute :)

So, were they jumping or actually balancing themselves on their tails?

[Dante King]

Very nice. Must have been a great experience.

[Ed Rotberg]

Those are great shots Ed. I know the otters that I have seen in captivity here have teeth that look like they could rip your hand off quite easily. Weren't you a little worried about getting bit when you were feeding it.

Great series and thanks for sharing.

I would have been worried Sheldon, but for two things. Sappho is an absolute sweetheart, and Giant Otters are incredibly intelligent animals.

Thanks for the kind words.

= Ed =

[Ed Rotberg]

Awesome pictures! Kinda goofy looking otters. Never seen any that look quite like that. They're still cute though. Good work.

Thanks for the compliment Robert. These are Giant Otters which are only found in a very few places in South America. These were photographed on the Rupununi River in southwestern Guyana. They are the most endangered of the 13 species of otters, and are also the largest by far. They get over 6 feet in length (not including the tail).

= Ed =

[Ed Rotberg]

Wow they're cute :)

So, were they jumping or actually balancing themselves on their tails?

She was jumping Sicily. The biologist who took the photos told me to hold the fish up to get Sappho to jump so she could take these photos. While they use their tails for swimming, I'm not sure they would support these animals as they are pretty massive. Sappho is only 1 1/2 years old, and is considered a sub-adult at this point.

= Ed =

[Ed Rotberg]

Very nice. Must have been a great experience.

Thanks Dante. Yes, it was definitely an incredible experience that went far to fast.

= Ed =