A five-year-old sea otter who gained notoriety for commandeering surfboards has continued her reign as a viral sensation as she’s managed to avoid multiple efforts to capture her.
For days, staff with California’s department of fish and wildlife (CDFW) and the Monterey Bay aquarium have attempted to catch otter 841 – but she has given them the slip each time.
The mammal’s actions have delighted online commenters who have cheered her on as she jumps on and off CDFW boards and avoids the nets that staff try to lure her into. But experts emphasize that 841 must be caught for her own wellbeing and safety because she’s been exhibiting worrying behavior for a sea otter in the wild.
“It’s highly unusual behavior,” said Kevin Connor, a spokesperson for the Monterey Bay aquarium. “There are about 3,000 southern sea otters in Central California. This is the only incident taking place right now.”
The aquatic mammal rose to prominence for her unusual interactions with surfers. She’s been photographed and filmed atop boards that she’s seized from riders and most recently has been spotted eluding the CDFW’s nets. Photographer Mark Woodward, who goes by Native Santa Cruz on social media, and environmental studies professor Dustin Mulvaney have been sharing 841’s latest exploits through photos posted to social media.
Otter 841’s online fans describe her as a creature taking ownership of her watery home and avoiding capture because deep down she knows that captivity awaits her. Her antics have even inspired T-shirts and tote bags depicting 841 flying her knubby middle finger.
Connor with the Monterey Bay aquarium, known for its work with otters, says that he is not surprised by 841’s growing cult following nor the fact that people are rooting for her to remain wild and free. Still, he cautions against projecting human values and motivations on to 841, because the behaviors she’s exhibiting are potentially dangerous for her and the humans she meets.
“The appeal that otters have is that they are incredibly cute to human eyes – it’s a superpower they have,” Connor said. “We equate them to our pets and you just wanna hug them. But they are wild animals that bite through shellfish with their mouths.”
Sea otters are naturally wary of humans and will usually move away from them, but in 841’s case, she’s been swimming right up to people. Experts warn that this behavior is a sign that she has formed a positive association with humans, something that her caretakers have been trying to prevent since she was a pup.
Otter 841’s mother, known as 723, was taught how to survive in the wild by older otters who were a part of the Monterey Bay aquarium’s surrogacy program. In 2017, she was released into open waters but was recaptured the following year after the aquarium received reports that she was approaching kayaks. Aquarium staff learned that people were feeding her squid and bait fish, which led to a positive association with humans and a reliance on them for food.
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Once 723 was brought to the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), her caretakers realized she was pregnant with the now infamous pup. Otter 723 gave birth to 841 at the university and, since her birth, UCSC staff worked to make sure she could survive in the wild and would not be dependent on nor friendly with humans.
In 2020, 841 was released into Moss Landing, a popular surfing and nature-watching area on the coast of Monterey county. For the first year she lived as a normal otter does: distrustful of humans and regularly on the hunt for shellfish.
But in September 2022, after reports that she was approaching people, the US fish and wildlife service tried to undo 841’s positive association with humans through a process called hazing, but that has not deterred the mischievous critter.
“With her mom there was clear evidence that 723 was being fed; we don’t have that clear evidence this time,” Connor said.
Catching 841 could take weeks, according to the US fish and wildlife service, which is working with the CDFW and the Monterey Bay aquarium to nab the animal. Otters are quick and nimble in the water, making them tough to catch. If water conditions prevent crews from getting 841 or if she stops her behavior, the capture effort will be suspended or called off entirely, the US fish and wildlife service said.
If she is caught, 841 will undergo a medical examination before she’s permanently housed in a zoo or aquarium, where she will become an “ambassador for her species” that teaches the public about otter history and the important role they play in the aquatic ecosystem, Connor said.
