The Secret Lives of Otters - Family, Survival and Adventure Revealed

One of the most loved animals, famed for its curious and playful nature and incredible agility and grace underwater. And yet most of the life of an otter goes unseen. We reveal the otter's diverse and sometimes exotic world. Meeting the global family and following the first year in the life of a cub. Few animals seem to enjoy life more than otters. But despite the fun and games, life is a challenge. Especially for this young family trying to make it through winter. The pups were born last spring and as they approach their first birthdays. Their time with their mother is nearing its end. All year she's had to spend eight hours a day hunting to provide not only food for herself but milk and now fishy snacks for her pups. It's not easy to maneuver under the ice. Luckily otters can hold their breath for eight minutes and the payoff is that at this time of year fish are sluggish and easier to catch. Not that the mother will get to keep the prize. Her daughter helps herself. Her offspring, a male and female, have come a long way from the 12 centimeter pups she delivered last spring. For the first three months they couldn't even swim. Now they're quite at home in the water. But they still have a lot to learn and not long to learn it. They're already spending more time exploring on their own and even finding a few meals for themselves. But as the ice fades away so does the close family bond. After a year of their mother's watchful gaze, the pups are on their own. At first they cling to each other, apprehensive about the big new world they begin to explore. Otters leave their mother's territories and must find their own places to live. The journey can take them over 100 kilometers and the pair might travel 20 kilometers in a day. But spring's a great time for them to explore. The vegetation is sparse, leaving waterways open and easy to swim through. The pair will cross strips of land but they are true water babies, most at home swimming. Their eyes, ears and nostrils are on the very top of their heads so they can swim almost entirely submerged but still breathe and watch where they're going. And when they do submerge, huge webbed feet and a muscular tail propel them at nine kilometers an hour. Their big fan of sensitive whiskers helps them to feel their way and pick up the wake created by fleeing fish. One spots a silvery treat shimmering on the riverbed but someone's The crayfish has the good sense to relinquish its meal and gets out of the way, which is lucky for him. Crunchy crustaceans are among the otters' favorite foods. Of the many kinds of otters around the world, all are willing to adapt their diets, taking whatever small creatures are in their habitats. Conditions are quite different to the sheltered rivers of mainland Europe here on the windswept west coast of Scotland. Like the siblings, these are Eurasian otters but their kind is highly adaptable, even making a living on the coast. Putting up with the salty sea grants them access to an abundance of delicious crabs. But marine dining also means they have to take extra time and effort to remove the salt from their fur to keep it healthy. It is their one protection against the cold. A roll in the seaweed is a good start, squeezing the water from their fur. But they will regularly visit streams to have a proper wash, ready to once again take the plunge. Eurasian otters are just one kind of many. They have a global family, including cousins in India. Here, smooth-coated otters pursue frogs. If the neighbors don't scare off the frogs first, while in the famous Yellowstone National Park of the American Midwest, American river otters welcome new arrivals. Trout racing into the park's rivers to spawn. At first, the powerful fish are hard to catch up with. But it's not long before the best fishermen in Yellowstone are feasting. With food in abundance, they always look like they're having a good time. Back in Europe, the young male tucks into his stolen prize. But his sister tries a different technique, pushing her nose into the mud, using her whiskers to try and uncover shellfish. But it's clear that her neighbors are having far better luck than she is. Maybe her brother will share. The brother and sister are still enjoying each other's company, but they can't stay together forever. As they reach maturity, they'll need to find unrelated partners if they're to have pups of their own. There are 13 kinds of otter in the world. Eurasian otters are the most widespread, ranging all across Eurasia, from the rugged coasts of Ireland to Kamchatka in Russia's far east, and north to south, from tropical Sri Lanka to the frozen Arctic. Eurasian otters might have the biggest kingdom, but they are overshadowed by the river wolves of the Amazon. Giant otters are three times heavier than their cousins in Europe. The kings of the clan, they reign over the jungles of South America. They're the size of people, the top predators of the Amazonian river systems in which they live. These feisty animals will even stand up to caiman, shouting at them, mobbing them, ensuring they get the right of way. While the young European otters have left their mother and set out alone, these pups have a very different future. Most otters are fairly solitary, but not the giants. This year's pups are nearing maturity, but they are not preparing to move on. Giant otters live in clans of up to a dozen. There are alphas, breeding pairs of adults, but also their offspring, which will stay on and help raise future generations, even catching fish for the pups. Like all otters, the young were born in a den, which for otters is known as a holt. All otters use holts for their young and as shelters, but the giant otters make it home. Rolling on the doorstep, they anoint it with their scent. Urine and droppings are other markers. The whole pack uses latrines, so all the stink accumulates in one place. They want to make sure everyone knows this section of river is taken. The warning signs are sometimes ignored. A neighboring pack is exploring a little bit too close. Perhaps they're looking to expand their own territory. The family will not stand by and let that happen. They are united in their defense. Giant otters have the peculiar habit of periscoping, raising their head and neck out of the water. This is to show off their neck markings. They are as unique to each otter as human fingerprints, helping to identify who is friend or foe. There's a shouting match. Giant otters are the noisiest of all, with nine distinct calls. Territorial disputes can become very violent. Individuals can even be killed. But today, the display of posturing and yelling seems to be enough to persuade the intruders to turn back. The victorious giants return to what they do best, fishing. Living in a deep tributary of the Amazon, the river otters have plenty of water to hunt in. But for their cousins in Europe, the seasons are changing. In the height of summer, pools dry up. As the waters recede, the fish are being concentrated into even smaller pools, something lucky fishermen hope to cash in on. The commotion attracts the otters, who detour from the river course, making a land crossing to cash in on the easy pickings. The young pair can hardly believe their luck, and soon take over from the birds. The hapless fish are trapped, easy pickings for the otters. But not for long. The tough, dry clay soil holds the water, so levels quickly rise and flood. Ultimately, the fresh water will replenish the landscape. But for now, it's a danger to the creatures of the forest, who must swim for their lives, or move to higher ground. In the chaos of the flooding, the young otters have become separated, moving with the flood water, but in different directions. From now on, they will follow their own paths. The seasonal changes have been dramatic, but it's nothing compared to the Amazon. It rains all the time here, but during the rainy season, the landscape is truly transformed. The rising rivers burst their banks, and flood vast stretches of forest. But to the otters, this is of benefit. Now, they're no longer limited to fishing in the rivers. They can go hunting among the trees too. They work together to hunt as a pack, flushing out fish and driving them towards other hungry mouths. After a feast, the pack regroup and play, while birds try to nip in and grab any leftovers. An otter paradise, a utopia. But in the dense jungle, it's not wise to drop your guard. A jaguar, the biggest predator in the forest, is watching the family relax. On padded toes, it slips silently closer. The jaguar is the king of the forest. It even hunts the powerful caiman. Otters are a tough target, unless it can catch one unawares. But the sharp-eyed birds spot the danger. Now, with the pack on high alert, he has no chance of an ambush. Working together, they can easily stand their ground. They're not known as river wolves for nothing. Giants are not the only otters to swim through forests. Off the Pacific coast of North America, this is a kelp forest, the largest seaweed on the planet. Kelp can grow an astonishing 30 centimeters a day. It's the base of a food chain for a myriad of animals, including the world's heaviest otters and the only ones that are truly marine. They can hold their breath for a few minutes and dive as deep as 80 meters to hunt sea urchins and abalone. To keep their energy up in the cold water, they need to forage for up to 12 hours a day and eat a quarter of their body weight. They are also protected by the densest fur on the planet, with up to 150,000 hairs per square centimeter. It traps warm air against their bodies and keeps the cold water away from their skin. It requires a lot of maintenance, so the otters must regularly lie on the surface and groom. The most social of otters, they hang out in rafts. Staying together makes it easier to detect and avoid predators. It's much harder for otters in other parts of the world who have to make it on their own. Of the two European cubs, the female has gone the furthest. She has an instinctive desire to find a territory of her own. She needs to find a patch with a good system of waterways and with good haul-out spots and places where she could potentially build a den. It must be an area where male otters might find her. And above all, it needs an abundance of food, especially if she wants to start a family and have to feed pups as well as herself. She takes regular breaks along her journey to refuel. Maintaining a healthy body is vital if she's to succeed in her mission, especially as winter is rapidly closing in. Winter can hit hard in the north. A storm from the east brings heavy snow. Overnight, her environment is transformed. At such times, landscapes can seem devoid of life. Many animal inhabitants migrate, leaving the cold north for summer retreats, or hibernate to escape the frost. But the otter must fend for herself throughout the year. Her only company, a dipper. A plucky little songbird that ekes out a living by diving into streams to hunt out insects or fish eggs. Though in winter, small shellfish are easier to find. It benefits from the otter. As she feeds, she keeps the ice open and stirs up the riverbed, perhaps dislodging small treats for the bird. Someone else spots her handiwork. The ice is making life hard for an egret. The otter holes offer a window on the aquatic life beneath. It momentarily considers grand theft, but the otter is not about to give up her prize. Egrets are superb fishers, and thanks to the otter's ice holes, this one can take care of itself. With the cold water, the fish are sluggish and easier to catch, and become much-needed energy boosts. Rolling on fresh snow pushes the water from her fur, drying it, helping to keep her warm. Sunny winter days bring other visitors. Otters can live close to people, though tend to lurk in the shadows, often going unnoticed. The people pass, and she can get back to her hunting. Her thick, double-layered coat keeps her warm, even in the freezing water. The tough guard hairs stopping water from penetrating the dense wool beneath, trapping an insulating layer of air. It's enough to weather the cold, though fortunately, it isn't long before conditions improve. Winter slowly loosens its grip, and the otter finds herself in a land of opportunity. Turtles emerge from hibernation, and prepare to breed. But some are faring much better at this mating game than others. Amphibians also throw themselves enthusiastically into their spawning season. Well, most of them. Frog's legs in abundance. The perfect spring pick-me-up for the hungry otter. Seeking them out in the reeds, she disturbs a nest of little bittens. Otters are not fussy diners. Small birds are a good source of protein. But the bittens freeze instinctively. Keeping still and letting their camouflage work its magic is their best line of defense. Fortunately, there's plenty of prey for both the otter and the birds. Though perhaps the heron's eyes were bigger than its stomach. Seasonal abundance benefits otters around the world. For example, during autumn on America's Here, the female's close cousins, the similar-looking river otters, are waiting around expectantly. This family live on a small stretch of stream high in the mountains. It doesn't look like the most promising place to feed. But they know an annual event is coming that will stock up their larder. Salmon. These fish are exhausted, having swum from the ocean up waterfalls and into the mountain streams. The salmon are here to lay their eggs on the stream bed, the same place where they themselves hatched. But the otters have other ideas. The salmon die at the end of their journeys anyway, once they've spawned. But thanks to the otters, some are going to fail at their final hurdle. The river otters need to eat a fifth of their body weight per day. But with the giant salmon available, that's not hard. Leaving time left for grooming and a bit of twerking. Bouncing up and down to spray scent over the river banks to mark the best fishing spots. The mountain streams are providing well for this family. And the European otter might finally have found her own spot to do the same. Sunny days and lush green spring growth surround the otter. As she settles in, she's found a patch to call home. There are fish in abundance. Crystal clear waters and banks lined with basking spots and hideaways. An otter paradise. There is only one thing missing. For a few months, she has to enjoy her new territory alone. Until one day, a faint scent carries on the breeze. Otters have a distinctive musky scent. Some people think it smells like jasmine tea. There's so much chemical information in the odor that otters can use them to identify each other. Determining their age, health and gender without having to meet. And this is the smell of a male. Her interests peaked. She's compelled to investigate. They seem to hit it off instantly. Their aquatic ballet is a prelude to mating. They will mate regularly. The pair will only stay together for three or four days. But what wonderful days they are. And then the romance is over. Alone again, the young female makes the most of summer's bounty. There's an abundance of fish, which is just as well. Her encounters with the friendly male have paid off. Her journey has come full circle. From being a pup in her mother's care, to preparing to become a mother herself.