Did you hear the chirps, telling the other otters to line up? Then we see quite a bit of "periscoping." Of the pond mammals, otters are quite unique in accomplishing this neat trick. Beavers and muskrats simply have to stop and stand up in the pond to see what the commotion might be on the pond shore. Otters can extend their neck and head high out of the water, even as they swim, like a moving submarine.

In this clip, I am not sure if the snorting is directed at me, or is just a way to keep reminding the pups that there is something amiss. I've seen otters leave a pond in a group many times and they usually manage it silently and still in perfect order. Otters rarely scatter. A group of otters, though they may each go off to various corners of the pond to forage, seems to have a sense of its center where, if needs be, they come together and move on.

A week or so after that, I thought I was better concealed from the otters than usual. But this time the mother made a great demonstration of discovering me and exposing my presence to the other otters. It was: lesson for the day, kids -- take a whiff of this! Now, what to do we do? Leave, but with class. Turn the page to see one of my favorite otter exits: page27