Santa Cruz, California — New mugshots have appeared from otter 841America’s most wanted marine mammal.
Last summer she terrorized surfers in Santa Cruz, California, by biting surfboards and even hijacking them.
Now she has returned and surfers are on alert.
“I think at first they (surfers) are excited to see it, and then they get scared,” one surfer told CBS News.
CBS News took a deep dive to try to spot otter 841, the song on her label.
“When I saw her she was eating, very close to the cliffs,” said photographer Mark Woodward.
Woodward captured the latest photos of otter 841 over Memorial Day weekend.
“She had a lot of respect for the surfers,” Woodward said.
He also captured the footage of otter mania that went viral last year when crowds tried to get too close.
“So when paddleboarders and kayakers go right through the kelp beds where sea otter sleep, it’s dangerous,” Woodward explained. “It’s also illegal.”
Fearing that someone could get hurt, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife launched a dragnet operation last year that failed each time. Eventually the ornery otter disappeared. But in October she made a surprising return with her puppy. Experts now think pregnancy may explain her aggressive behavior.
“I hope she can be left alone,” Woodward said. “She’s living her best life. Hopefully she won’t end up on boards. But who knows?’
Carter Evans
