Besides conducting tours, the docents staff information kiosks and a museum, help with trail maintenance and log sea otter sightings to aid in habitat restoration efforts.

The lives of Billy and Susan Mail changed forever when a starving otter cub showed up at their doorstep.

He claimed avoidable deaths occurred, adding: "A peacock flew into the giant otter enclosure and the two giant otters ripped its head off in front of a school group."

Ash said he and the team bathed in the river at night with electric eel, caiman, sting rays, giant river otters and piranha.

Mr Goss said it took a lot of work to get the otter – who was too young to be separated from his mother – out of the engine.