Are killer whales recruiting?

We’ve been watching stories of White Gladis and her killer whale students wreak havoc on boats , but now a new player has entered the game: Otter 841.

The 5 year old female otter is well known in the waters off Santa Cruz.  She has a tragic backstory (which you can read here, along with another take on her adventures/misbehavior) and a history of swiping surfboards from unsuspecting surfers. But after a weekend in which the otter’s behavior seemed to grow more aggressive, wildlife officials in the area said on Monday they have decided to put a stop to these “acts of otter larceny.” 😁

The most recent board abduction was caught on camera, and posted on Twitter

An amazing video!
This video of the sea otter attacking a surfboard yesterday was shared me and is being posted with the photographers permission. The video must remain in this tweet to be shared. This is a dangerous sea otter, avoid it if at all possible! pic.twitter.com/N7qPMFVRrt

— Native Santa Cruz (@NativeSantaCruz) July 10, 2023

How can they stop her?  “Due to the increasing public safety risk, a team from C.D.F.W. and the Monterey Bay Aquarium trained in the capture and handling of sea otters has been deployed to attempt to capture and rehome her,” a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement.

I don’t know about you, but I’m pulling for the Otter.

There’s more videos here, too: