S’pore otter catches invasive fish in its jaws, drags it onto Changi Beach to eat

Singapore photographer snaps otter catching & eating invasive grouper at Changi Beach

On 29 July, a Singaporean photographer caught close-up images of a local otter catching an invasive fish for a meal.

Mr Tan Yong Lin told MS News that the sighting occurred at Changi Beach. He was searching for smooth-coated otters along the coast and luckily came across a lone one.

Otter munches on grouper fish at Changi Beach

It emerged from the waves with a fish caught in its bloodied teeth.

The otter had torn the fish open near the head and even gave the camera a showcase of its jaws.

Mr Tan identified the catch as a dragon tiger grouper, which he called an invasive species.

According to him, the fish is bred for human consumption and either escaped into the wild or was released.

The otter dragged the dead grouper onto shore, where it began to eat, starting from the fish’s gills.

It eventually left only the tail unconsumed, which the photographer said would be eaten by scavengers in the local ecosystem.

“I always marvel at the hunting ability of our otters, whether it is in the sea or our inland waterways,” Mr Tan told MS News.

He added that he has seen otters hunting numerous times over the years.

He had also previously encountered an otter family playing on Changi Beach.

Wildlife enthusiasts impressed by photos

Netizens praised Mr Tan’s photographs, with his post on Facebook getting over 500 likes at the time of writing.

Another commenter found it hilarious that the otter caught a grouper, which they jokingly said costs S$30 on the market.

A curious netizen asked if it wasted the fish, as they claimed some otters would only take one bite before leaving.

Mr Tan responded by pointing out that waste is a “human concept”, as scavengers would naturally take care of anything the otter had left uneaten.

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Featured image adapted from @ylint on Instagram.