Santa Cruz, California — New photographs have appeared of the otter 841America's Most Wanted Marine Mammal.
Last summer, it terrorized surfers in Santa Cruz, California, biting surfboards and even kidnapping them.
Now, it's back, and surfers are on the lookout.
“I think (surfers) are excited to see it at first, and then they get scared,” one surfer told CBS News.
CBS News took a deep dive to try and spot otter 841, which is its tag number.
“When I saw her, she was feeding, very close to the cliffs,” said photographer Mark Woodward.
Over Memorial Day weekend, Woodward took the final photos of Otter 841.
“She was being very respectful of the surfers,” Woodward said.
He also captured the otter mania footage that went viral last year, when crowds tried to get too close.
“So with paddleboarders and kayakers going right through the kelp beds where the sea otter sleeps, it's dangerous,” Woodward explained. “It's also illegal.”
Concerned that someone might get hurt, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife set up a trawl operation last year that failed every time. Finally, the otter disappeared. But in October, she made a surprising comeback with her puppy. Experts think pregnancy may explain her aggressive behavior.
“I hope she can be left alone,” Woodward said. “He's living his best life. Hopefully he'll refrain from getting on the boards. But who knows?”
Carter Evans
