Overview
- Santa Cruz firefighters say a sea otter commandeered a woman’s surfboard near 550 West Cliff Drive around 5:07 p.m., and lifeguards later retrieved the board with the surfer uninjured.
- Initial reports noted a possible nip that did not break the skin, while a subsequent fire department account said the surfer was not bitten and required no hospital transport.
- Witnesses, including surfer Isabella Orduna, described the otter holding the board for roughly 20 minutes as a water-rescue response unfolded.
- Wildlife officials are being notified, and experts are preparing renewed capture efforts to assess the animal and consider relocating it if caught.
- Whether the otter is the previously viral ‘Otter 841’ remains unknown because her tracking tag is no longer on her, and new sightings Thursday included an otter tugging a surfer’s leash and hopping onto boards at Steamer Lane.