Giant River Otters or Ari'rana

I had wanted to see these wonderful creatures for over 35 years! They are fabulous and all that can be done to preserve them should be done. About 3000 years ago when the Tupi people first inhabited the Amazon Rainforest they named the animal the Ari'ana, meaning Water Jaguar, and they are as stately and magnificent as those apex-predators.

Giant River Otter

Good Scratch. Good camouflage. The Giant River Otters have cream colored patches on their necks. They use these patches as a means of identification among the group! When they encounter each other they stretch their necks up so they can tell who is who.

Giant River Otter Cleaning her Fur

Much time is spent in grooming the fur coat that protects them. Although I tried, it was difficult to capture a single otter, or for that matter an "otter pile". I either got a mess or or a piece, as you see here, but it does make the point that these creatures are tightly bound to each other in a supportive and familial group.

Giant River Otter Close to Shore

Muddy banks and water hyacinth are probably camouflaging the Giant River Otters' "campsite" den. They burrow into the banks or under logs. The river was about 4-5 feet below the banks so tree roots offered a good camouflage of any "campsites". We did see them scramble up onto the shore where they rolled around in the sand or disappeared into their burrow.

Giant River Otters Together

Each Giant River Otter has a unique and distinctive cream colored patch at it's throat. When they meet they stretch up their heads and necks, a behavior called "periscoping". For the otters it is a way for them to identify individuals. Their gorgeous chocolate colored fur coat is so thick that water cannot penetrate it.

Giant River Otter Looking Askance

These otters definitely have expressions, many of them warnings. The solitary visitor to our boat, who I think was young, looked happy and curious, I do not think I am reading into this. They spend time diving for fish, eating and piling up close to the shore. It appears their routine, in the mornings at least, is to get out and dive and swim for fish, eat the fish, groom, socialize and bask (perhaps to dry off) and return to the campsite.

Giant River Otter Watching the Watchers

When I am on a photo trip I am very intent on finding my subject and photographing it. I am a tourist and sometimes learn later just what, exactly, was actually happening. I did not realize when I was taking this picture that this otter's stance could signal stress and warning. Otters aggressively defend their territory. A later experience with two otters makes me wonder if this individual was on guard. Brazilians are rightfully proud of their efforts towards conservation. It is my hope that generations coming up, all over the world, will bring forth new environmentalists.

Giant River Otter and Water

The giant River Otters are stupendous in the water. They are sleek and strong and move as if they are a form of water themselves. Their powerful "wing like" tail propels them and their big, strong webbed feet can grab fish and crustaceans. They use their feet like hands to grasp their catch and eat it.

Giant River Otters Piling

Giant River Otter with closed eyes in the bright sun. I really don't know if this is two or three otters. It is typical of how they pile up, only there are less here than in most of the piles I saw. Giant River Otters form a family group around the alpha breeding pair. They work with each other and play and eat together with little friction.

Giant River Otter and Golden River

The Giant River Otter's muzzle is short, giving his head a rounded appearance. His nose is covered completely in fur. His whiskers are so sensitive they can feel water pressure. The otters are completely diurnal and we went out to spot them in early morning. It did not take long for the sun to get high enough to turn the water gold.

Giant River Otter

We came upon this otter as soon as we pushed off from the shore. She seemed agitated and snorted at us. I too became agitated because I was sure we were too near to the campsite . She brought out another otter, bigger and greyed around the muzzle. They both made loud snorts and had this look on their faces. According to what I can find the Giant River Otter has a complex assortment of sounds and may be the nosiest of all the otters. An "explosive" snort was one of the sounds mentioned and this is what they were offering us.