Watch: The surfboard

August 4, 2023 by The Wildlife Society

Authorities are investigating a wave of incidents in California

Authorities are searching for a notorious surfboard thief in the waters off Santa Cruz, California. A female sea otter known as otter 841, has been biting surfers and stealing their boards for several summers. Wildlife managers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Monterey Bay Aquarium have been trying to capture the sea otter (Enhydra lutris) to move it somewhere that it might not cause so much conflict with humans, a spokesperson told The New York Times. The otter’s mother was removed from the wild after similar interactions, due in part to people feeding her. Otter 841 was born in captivity and released into the wild, but wildlife managers have no evidence that she has been fed.

Read more at The New York Times.

Header Image: Sea otter 841 bites a stolen surfboard. Credit: @nativesantacruz

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