Floatzel is an orange Pokémon resembling an anthropomorphic otter or weasel with longer arms than legs. It has four fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot. It's feet are small in comparison to the rest of the body. It has two pointed blue fins on its arms, two aligned, backward-swept, pointed fins on its head, and two tails. The yellow flotation device, which seems to be made of rubber or a similar substance, gives the impression of an inflatable life vest. The floatation sac goes in a kind of ring behind its head, down infront of its arms, then back behind its back above the tails. When it lays on its back, the flotation sac could also be interpreted as a sort of inflatable dinghy using its tails as a propeller and its fins as oars. It's tails can infinitely spin around like propeller blades. Its forelimbs and tails are tipped in cream, and there is an orange teardrop shape near the bottom of its cream belly. Floatzel also has a circular cream spot in the center of its head, cream eyelids and a pattern of two black triangles on the edges of its cream muzzle. It has one cream, slightly protruding, oval-shaped spot on its back if it is female and two if it is male. It has small, sharp canine teeth, the top two of which can be seen when its mouth is closed. It can use its swimming capabilities to assist in the rescues of drowning people. To help it dive, Floatzel can deflate its floatation sac, and then inflate it once again when it wishes to surface. It is a fresh water Pokemon and tends to inhabit swift-moving rivers. Some believe Floatzel is a fish-eater.
Floatzel, the Sea Weasel Pokémon and the evolved form of Buizel. Its flotation sac developed as an aid in chasing aquatic prey. Floatzel can also carry people on its back.
In Pokémon Adventures, a Floatzel is first seen acting as the motor jet for Professor Rowan and his assistant (Platinum's father) as they arrived in Canalave City. Later, Crasher Wake has a Floatzel, which he used to battle Platinum's Empoleon, but after a close battle, lost. A few volumes later, under Wake's command, Pearl attempted to catch one himself, but failed to do so and resorted to catching the weaker Buizel.
Floatzel is based on an otter, which is in the same family as weasels, however it resembles weasels a little more closely than it does otters. Floatzel also appears to be loosely based on the Kamaitachi.
Name origin
Floatzel and Flowsel are combinations of flow, float and weasel.