Many researchers, both cryptozoological and zoological, have pointed out how otters can be mistaken as lake monsters. The story goes that a bitch otter with her pups in tow looks like a line of humps, just like many lake monster reports. What most people fail to mention, however, is that a single otter also fills this description. When an otter swims on the surface, three parts of it's body apear above water; the top of it's head, the middle of it's back, and the end of it's tail. This gives the appearence of three humps. Add to that the fact that these humps appear to "glide" across the water's surface, and then you've got a stereotypical lake monster report.

However, there is no otter big enough to fill the decriptions of most lake monsters; the biggest otter only gets to be 6 feet long, while lake monsters are said to average at 20 or so feet in length! So, to admit that lake monsters are otters would be admitting to the existence of an otter over 20 feet long, and there is no precedent for that whatsoever. Or is there?

One of the most publicised of these creatures is the dobahr-chù of Ireland, variously known as "water dog", "king otter", and somewhat less appropriately "Irish crocodile". It's said to be about the size of a wolfhound (about the size of a small horse for those who've never seen one) and to be pure white in colour, with black ear tips and a black cross-like marking on it's back. Similar creatures have been decribed as being wholly black in colour. A well-known Irish folktale tells of a man who's wife was killed by a dobahr chù, and who got his revenge by killing the beast. However, the dobahr's mate tried to get her revenge, and the man narrowly escaped with his life. There is a tombstone in the region mentioned in the tale which bears the image of a crouched dobahr. The dobahr chù was a major part of Celtic folklore, and even had sacrifices associated with it.

The dobahr chù has oft been dismissed as nothing but fantasy, but there is precedent for it's existence. Ireland is, in relative terms, an isolated island with no major predators. Unlike England, it never had wolves or bears, and big cats are notably absent. It would therefore make some sense for a small native carnivore to take the niche. Although one rarely thinks of them that way, otters are carnivores, primarily fish-eaters but still carnivores. They are not above killing and eating small mammals, even beavers. If an otter were to reach the size acredited to the dobahr chù it would certainly partake of big game, including people. The dobahr chù would fill the vacant niche in the island's ecosystem.

However, the dobahr chù is not the only legendary Irish carnivore that could very well hold some credit. Contrary to popular belief, the term "fairy" in Irish folklore does not aplly to little winged pixie-beings. That is a childish viewpoint. In Irish mythology, "fairies" were creatures that were said to be endowed with super-natural powers (some of which were neanderthal-like dwarves, the tales of which have been corrupted in to today's leprechaun myth). One such "fairy" was called the selkie, an aquatic horse-like creature that partook of flesh, including that of humans. It had a marine counterpart known as the "kelpie". However, this is only part of a complex array of myths that extends over much of Northern Europe, with the creatures being called "pooka" or "piaste" in different regions. They are said to be horse-like, semi-aquatic, and to attract human prey by "crying like a baby".

One parallel that is often drawn is the similarity between otters and dogs. They are somtimes even called water dogs. Now, a lesser-known similarity exists between dogs and horses. An Irish wolfhound can easily be mistaken for a small horse,and seen from a distance a horse can be mistaken for a large dog. Trand take noteof this next time you're n a situation where you can observe a horse or large dog in poor conditions. Now, if an otter resembles a dog enough tobe called a water dog, it seems somewhat likely that a very large otte could further be misidentified as a horse. If this is true, then perhaps the dobahrs, selkies, and piastes are all just variant myths built up around one creature; the giant otter.

Argentina being in South America, it is possible that the iemisch is in fact the world's largest known otter; the Brazilian giant otter. This massive mustelid reaches 6 feet in length and has quite dangerous-looking canine teeth. However, there is a related possibility which shall be adressed later.

In another part of South America, the yungas of Ecuador, there exists the legend of another water-tiger, known as entzaeia-yawa to the natives. This is described as very un-otter-like, however, said to have a massive barrel-like body, long flwoing hair and a thick bushy tail. However, it's footprints are exactly like otter tracks, only bigger. This creature is said to be unpleasently common, and the natives won't bath alone in this area. Allegedly, they come out the water at night to find their prey, then drag the victim in to thewater tobe eaten by day.

Traveling northwards, to Mexico, we find the ahuizotl of Aztec legend. This is a small "water monster", said to wrap it's tail around people and drag them to the bottom of a lake. There it eats their eyes and fingernails and pulverises the body. A similar creature was reported by Christopher Columbus on Jamaica. He said it used its prehensile tail to incapacitate a boar. The creature is said to lure people to the water by crying like a baby, and was reported from much of Mexico and other central American countries.

Going still northward, a creature called the pavawkyaiva appears in the native lore from New Mexico and Arizona. They are said to be large water-dogs, although no mention is made of their temperment or ferocity. However, the water-dog of Northern Californian legend is said to be a habitual man eater. They are said to have a spotted coat and to live in the turbulent parts of rivers, where they drag their victims under the water to be eaten.

Nottoo far from here, in the state of Utah, there are 5 lakes that purportedly hold monsters. The Bear Lake monster is said to be a massive beast with four short legs, a long thick tail, a broad head and wide-based ears. It was first seen by mormon colonists along the lake shore. Other lakes have had sightings of creatures said to be serpentine in shape with a head like a greyhound. These sometimes have been seen to have short limbs, and have even been seen in the Great Salt Lake. It should be noted that the natives in this region blieve in spirits called "water babies", unseen deities which cry like infants to attract human prey, then drown and eat them.

Although many prominent researchers, Bernard Heuvelmans included, have proposed that these creatures are extant sabretooths which have taken up an aquatic lifestyle, there are several points to counter this. One of these being that it takes more suspension of belief to think that a species of sabretooth gave rise to an animal which doesn't resemble sabretooth cats in the least. Secondly, no African sabretooths had canine teeth which resembled walrus tusks; they had teeth that were more compressed, in the manner of pig tusks. The sabretooth genus which did have long cylindrical "walrus-tusk" teeth was Smilodon, from North and South America.