1 Caution
Surfer Ericksen takes care to get close to his surfboard while on shore onlookers warn that the sea otter may attack. The sea otter appears to be protective, takes a dive into the water, but is quick to get back on the board.
2 Cute but Wild
The Monterey Bay Aquarium warns: “A sea otter, as cute as it is, should not be approached by humans. If you encounter a sea otter in the wild, even if one approaches you, maintain your distance! A sea otter is a wild animal — maintaining a safe distance is the safest for both you and the otter.” The surfers seem to be aware of this. How will they handle this?
3 Closer to Shore
An onlooker advises Ericksen to “push the board closer to shore,” hoping the sea otter will abandon the surfboard. Another surfer paddles on a board towards the surfboard while the otter lends a hand!
4 Not Without a Fight
As the surfer on the board pushes the board towards the shore, the sea otter jumps off. But she won’t let go without a fight. She follows the board and bites it to grab hold of it.
5 A Race
Surfer Ericksen takes his chance when the otter lets go and jumps on the board to paddle back to shore. Looking back, he sees the sea otter following him. It’s a race to shore. Ericksen wins in the end, and the onlookers cheer. “Apparently, this otter has been having episodes like this all week, and tried to bite several other people the next day,” says Underhill-Meras.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
Watch the video here.
