Santa Cruz Otter Confronts Youth Surfers in Viral Standoff
A sea otter approached a group of young surfers at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz in late September, climbing onto a surfboard in a tense but non-injurious encounter. The incident adds to a growing list of aggressive marine mammal interactions along the California coast, including a recent sea lion attack on a paddleboarder in Santa Cruz. Experts note that domoic acid poisoning from harmful algal blooms may be causing unpredictable behavior in local marine mammals.