Adorable Otter Is Florida’s New Search And Rescue Employee
Move over, rescue dogs—there’s a new sniffer in town, and he’s… an otter!
Meet Splash, the Arizona-born otter who’s making a splash (pun intended) in the world of search and rescue. Forget everything you thought you knew about furry helpers, because Splash is here to sniff out underwater mysteries.
So, what’s his secret?
Otters, believe it or not, are the only mammals that can smell underwater.
And no, they’re not just taking deep sniffs like you and me. They use a cool bubble-blowing technique. Splash exhales and inhales so fast—around 10 times a second—making bubbles that help him “taste” the water. Pretty wild, huh?
Mike Hadsell, president of Peace River Search and Rescue in Florida, decided to give this otter method a try after reading about their odor-detecting superpowers.
Sure enough, Splash is already on the case, sniffing out scents and marking spots where divers can find evidence or, unfortunately, remains. Hadsell explains to Channel KDSK, “Dogs can get us close, but they can’t dive! That’s where Splash shines—he gets us from the boat to the bottom.”
Splash was recently put to the test, and spoiler alert: he nailed it.
While on an active search mission, searchers convinced Hadsell to let Splash take a dive. Splash sniffed out the target, threw a marker, and when the diver followed—bingo. Success.
Training is still ongoing, but Splash is well on his way to becoming a full-fledged underwater detective. In a few months, this otter will be helping divers locate evidence in places that were previously thought unreachable.
So, if you were ever skeptical about using otters for search and rescue, it’s time to dive into the future with Splash.
