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When I was faster i was always behind.

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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Excellent Links / Sunday Night Open Thread: It’s Seldom As Simple As It First Looks…

Sunday Night Open Thread: It’s Seldom As Simple As It First Looks…

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Would that it were so easy. From the Washington Post, “The otter in that viral surfboard video is sending humans a warning” [unpaywalled gift link]:

… “It is cute. I can’t deny that. I don’t want to be the fun police,” said Kevin Connor, a spokesman for the Monterey Bay Aquarium. But the videos, he added, show an animal that is “missing some of her really critical survival instincts.”

Animals like this otter that have no qualms about being near people often do so after getting a meal from them. But too many of those seeming acts of generosity, though, can endanger a species if it stops foraging for food on its own…

After being fed by people, the surfing otter′s mother started approaching kayakers in 2018. Once wildlife managers captured the brash female, they realized it was pregnant.

That otter’s pup, which was dubbed Otter 841 by wildlife managers, was raised at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and released in 2020. Wildlife managers took precautions to prevent it from getting used to humans, wearing face shields and ponchos to obscure the human form while interacting with it.

For a while, 841 appeared to lead a normal otter-y life in the wild. But it soon it began to approach people in the water, like its mother. “We don’t know the exact cause of the behavior,” Connor said. But he added that its conduct is consistent with that of an animal that has been fed.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages southern sea otters, said aggressive behavior like this is sometimes caused by hormonal surges as well. For now, the agency advised the public to keep away from the otter.

“While there have been no confirmed reports of injury, due to the highly unusual behavior of this otter, kayakers, surfers, and others recreating in the area should not approach the otter or encourage the otter’s interactions,” agency spokeswoman Ashley McConnell wrote in an email…

 
She’s got her defenders, locally — per KCRA News:

A pirate only identified by its tag as 841, has been stealing surfboards along popular surfing spots along the Santa Cruz coast…

While 841 has reportedly been connected to surfer interactions for years it wasn’t until June of 2023 that the pirate was caught on camera pirating surfboards. Police in Santa Cruz say 841 has had at least four encounters with surfers and is known to bite, scratch and get on top of surfboards.

On June 18, Mark Woodward, @NativeSantaCruz on Twitter, posted photos and a video clip of 841 latching onto several surfboards and even stealing one for a quick joy ride.

On June 26, video taken by Lori Pemberton shows the otter stealing an unattended surfboard. When the owner of the board attempts to get it back, 841 paws it, attempting to take the board into the deeper waters of the Monterey Bay. After about six minutes, five of which yakety sax should’ve accompanied, the surfer was able to reclaim their board. (Watch the full video here.) …

Most recently, on July 9, the otter made its most brazen commandeering to date. As seen on video, 841 leaps onto a surfboard and becomes aggressive with the surfer. The end result? Several large bite marks and a surfer who tells KSBW 8 that he’ll probably never surf again…

The Department of Fish and Wildlife told KSBW 8 that even if the otter was to bite a surfer that they would still attempt to capture and rehome her.

“Euthanasia would not be under consideration,” said Ashley McConnell with the agency, even if the otter becomes more aggressive.

‘We absolutely don’t wanna get lynched by an angry mob of Pirate 841 defenders.’

Latest local update, from KGO/ABC News7:

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KGO) — The surfboard-biting sea otter in Santa Cruz has once again – evaded capture attempts by wildlife officials…

Colleen Young, a sea otter Biologist for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is one of the divers on the capture team.

“I’m extremely frustrated and exhausted,” Young said.

The CDFW has been working with Monterey Bay Aquarium staff since July 2. Officials are responding because this 5-year-old female otter is showing concerning and unusual behavior by approaching people.

They’re able to locate her every day, but her behavior changes every day.

“For this particular animal, she’s got a lot of variability when she’s active, when she’s resting and that makes it really challenging because we have different capture strategies depending on what her behavior is. So we need to plan in advance what those capture strategies are going to be because we have different people that are experts in the different types of strategies,” Young said…

Young explained they tried catching this otter last year when she was showing similar, unusual behavior. The otter has some familiarity with nets.

“Last year, we also made some capture attempts which turned out to be successful in hazing her and discouraging the behavior so we didn’t end up capturing her because she stopped doing the behavior,” Young said.

Young said they had crews out on Friday and they’ll keep trying until they capture her…

And one day Pirate 841 will be a legend!

Reader Interactions

31Comments

  2. 2.

    Alison Rose

    I mean, from the otters’ perspective, this is sort of “don’t start none, won’t be none” situation. First the colonists who hunted them down, and then the surfers and kayakers and shit. And the otters said YOU COME INTO MY HOUSE?? Go surf somewhere else and leave these babies alone. Or they’re gonna eat your board and you’re gonna shut up about it.

    Sea life has had enough of our shit. Orcas, otters, who’s next? Jellyfish are gonna start launching themselves out of the water and suctioning onto the faces of anyone who tosses litter in the ocean.

  4. 4.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Alison Rose: Yeah, here’s news from the other coast:

    ⚠️ ATTN beachgoers, please be advised: multiple Portuguese Man-of-War (Physalia physalis) were spotted at Scarborough, Roger Wheelerm + East Matunuck State Beaches this week. 🟪DEM is flying purple flags to warn of dangerous marine life. pic.twitter.com/5nTzX5HHbq
    — Rhode Island Dept of Environmental Management (@RhodeIslandDEM) July 11, 2023

    For non-locals, they’ve been seen at most of the popular ocean beaches here.

  5. 5.

    Elizabelle

    Don’t fuck with the otters.

    I love hearing from the Monterey Bay Aquarium on how their resident otters are doing.

  7. 7.

    SpaceUnit

    I watched the video and I’m not so sure that’s otter 841.  Looks more like otter 529 to me.

  14. 14.

    SpaceUnit

    Sucks when you’re the new guy at the Fish and Wildlife Service and they hand you the Sharpie.

  15. 15.

    Ken

    Now, now. Remember how we all over-reacted when the scientists built the robot that was controlled by the goldfish? Needless to say, we were not conquered by goldfish-brained cyborgs. I am confident we will also not be conquered by surfing otters.

  16. 16.

    Jackie

    I don’t suppose global warming has anything to do with these “unusual” events? 🤪

  17. 17.

    Ascap_scab

    This is how it starts.

    Planet of the Seals.

    Beneath the Planet of the Seals.

    Escape from the Planet of the Seals.

    Conquest of the Planet of the Seals.

    Battle for the Planet of the Seals.

  18. 18.

    SpaceUnit

    The City of Atlantis Fish & Wildlife Service used to number their otters.  The Council of Elders had long insisted upon it.  Then at some point the AFWS were all like nah this too much work and anyway what’s the worst that can happen?

  19. 19.

    HumboldtBlue

    “While there have been no confirmed reports of injury, due to the highly unusual behavior of this otter, kayakers, surfers, and others recreating in the area should not approach the otter or encourage the otter’s interactions,”

    Which only guarantees a gaggle of floating “influencers,” YouTube “pranskters” and all-around general assholes will flock to the area to ensure the otter’s doom.

    @NotMax:

    This week, on a very special episode of Welcome Back, Otter….

    You rang?

  20. 20.

    NotMax

    Almost gave up on Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge but after the frenzied (10 minute?) mess that opens the movie it settles down and becomes quite watchable.

  22. 22.

    Brachiator

    “but i WANT to surf there” yeah well she wants to steal your surfboard. let the Law Of The Sea decide

    There otter be a law…

  24. 24.

    NotMax

    @Amir Khalid

    Oy gevalt.

    Even knowing these person on the street bits edit out the people who provide correct responses, my gob be smacked.

  29. 29.

    Miss Bianca

    @Alison Rose:

    Jellyfish are gonna start launching themselves out of the water and suctioning onto the faces of anyone who tosses litter in the ocean.

    That…is an image simultaneously hilarious and horrifying. And all before my first sip of morning coffee!

    @Ascap_scab:

    Return of the Son of the Valley of the Planet of the Seals

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