Marine Researchers Attempting to Capture and Rehome Bold Sea Otter Who’s Stealing Surfers’ Boards
First, videos of a sassy sea otter stealing surfboards went viral. Then, surfers, beachgoers, and California marine biologists all started asking questions about her strange behavior.
Information is finally flooding in about the rogue California sea otter who's commandeering surfers' boards. Biologists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium tell NBC News that she's not the first otter to wreak havoc in the Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz Areas.
OMG! After watching the way she attacks--and even flips--surfboards, it's easy to understand why everyone is so impressed. To say the least, this is very strange behavior for a sea otter.
The 5-year-old otter's name is simply Otter 841. As much as that sounds like an experiment number from Disney's Lilo and Stitch, we assure you, that's just how the Monterey Bay Aquarium labels and identifies the marine animals they track. In fact, this is far from the first they've seen of this aggressive otter!
Her mother had a similar track record both in and out of the aquarium, though she ultimately could not stay out in the wild. Because she got used to people feeding her, she became way too comfortable around humans. That may sound cute, but it's a different story when you're on the water trying to catch a wave!
"It was a cute encounter at first that turned aggressive real quick," surfer Joon Young remembered. He recounted how the otter lunged at him, attacked his surfboard, and even bit it.
Trained marine biologists are hunting for Otter 841 so they can rehome her somewhere safer for everyone. Hopefully they'll find her soon!
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