Is an otter dangerous

Answer 1

well they are not dangerous thats what they say but here in Florida some people were keeping ones as a pet an it got lost an went to a neighbor an started attacking some dogs an when the women try breaking them apart the ottor bit her hand really badly she has to be in the hospital for a week for recovery so if you see one try staying away

Answer 2

Yes. They are very dangerous.

Things to keep in mind:

The Sea otter's favorite food is the sea urchin. It doesn't consume the urchin by picking out the spines first; it literally sticks the urchin in its mouth and crushes it. They have homodont dentition (like humans), so some of their teeth are pretty sharp, and their jaw strength is relatively unmatched in the animal kingdom.

Sea otters are a direct relative of the wolverine. Under that cute fur is a long genetic history of viciousness.

To put it into perspective, here's an experience that my professor (a life-long researcher of sea otters and marine mammals in general) at UC Berkeley recounted to us:

He was on a boat with a group of researchers, and they had a sea otter locked away in a cage on board. Somehow, the creature managed to escape, and the group was forced to inside (or, for those who weren't in the right place, into the ocean) until the otter was safely outside the boat. If they hadn't, there was a horrifying chance that the thing could get its jaws around someone's hand.