Santa Cruz otter saga highlights human disturbances

SANTA CRUZ — The unusually aggressive sea otter swiping surfboards in Santa Cruz has had regional authorities hot on her flippers for weeks.

But the less than ideal behavior isn’t limited to sea species.

Curious kayakers and paddle boarders have been spotted in recent days getting too close to the charismatic ocean critters and experts warn that this can pose a serious risk both to the animal and its human counterparts.

“This (past) weekend was off the charts,” said Mark Woodward, a Santa Cruz-based photographer who regularly visits the coastline on the Westside to snap pictures from the cliffs. “I mean every few minutes people were trying to get close to her and it’s really bad for the otter’s health.”

International attention

Woodward took some of the original photos and videos of southern sea otter “841” – the name given to her after being born in captivity – who has made waves across the globe after she was seen aggressively wrestling surfboards away from oceangoers and ripping out chunks of Styrofoam from soft top boards with her razor-sharp teeth.

A team of biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Monterey Bay Aquarium unsuccessfully attempted to haze 841 with techniques that prompt her to avoid people and ultimately decided it is best to capture and relocate her for everyone’s safety.

“What’s important to note is that capture efforts aim to protect the safety and health of the sea otter in addition to reducing potential public safety risks,” said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a statement to the Sentinel. “Due to her unusual lack of fear of humans, she is more susceptible to boat strike or a fatal intestinal blockage from consuming parts of Styrofoam surfboards.”

The team of about two to four biologists made an attempt Wednesday to snag the otter, but to no avail. Meanwhile, the heightened attention may be exacerbating an ongoing issue of human-caused disturbance to the otter habitat.

‘Complex and challenging’

Gena Bentall is the director and senior scientist at Sea Otter Savvy, a Watsonville-based nonprofit that seeks to reduce human-caused disturbances to sea otters and promote responsible wildlife viewing up and down the state’s coastline.

Bentall said human-caused disturbances are a common issue that is “extremely complex and challenging” to address. Until recently, she said her organization hadn’t focused much of its efforts on Santa Cruz as, historically, impacts were uncommon compared to other regions.

But before the latest incidents related to 841 began to surface, Bentall was out in the field with a student looking to study the relationship between otters and local surfers and was surprised by the activity she witnessed.

“I was absolutely floored by how much kayak disturbance there was,” she said.

Bentall explained that unlike whales and seals, otters have no blubber and instead rely on a thick coat of fur and a rapid metabolism to keep themselves warm in the frigid waters of the Pacific Ocean. The furnace in their bellies must be constantly fed to maintain the otter’s warmth and overall health.

“If they have to swim away, find room, become active – especially when they were resting previously – then that is an energetic cost,” said Bentall. “And if it happens multiple times throughout the day it accumulates and can create either a deficit or a need for them to go out and find more food.”

If an otter is pregnant, Bentall said, “it doubles that cost.” Fish and Wildlife said it can’t determine if 841 is pregnant, but hormonal surges related to pregnancy have been known to cause aggressive behavior in southern sea otters.

Moreover, the risk to humans is significant, as otters are known to have a bite force equal to that of a 600-pound black bear and, according to the federal agency, may carry zoonotic disease that could be passed to a bite victim.

Fish and Wildlife said euthanizing 841 now or in the future is off the table, even if she were to bite someone.

“Stay well away from the kelp beds when you’re kayaking,” said Bentall. “In that moment, you are having a powerful positive impact for that species.”

Safety measures

But the issue is likely not going away anytime soon. Bentall said roughly 3,000 sea otters inhabit the waters off the California coast and survive in areas of relatively shallow depth that often overlap with human activities.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife recommends kayaks keep at least 60 feet, or five kayak lengths, away from otters and pass in a parallel direction at a slow and steady pace. If an otter appears to notice the presence of a kayaker, they are likely too close. The otters should not be fed by humans.

Dave Johnston is the owner of Venture Quest Kayak, which operates a kayak rental service at the Santa Cruz Wharf. He said he and his team are passionate about wildlife conservation and try to impart that same passion on their customers.