SANTA CRUZ, California – On O ct 15 , Ms Isabella Orduna was catching some waves at Steamer Lane, a popular surf spot off Santa Cruz, when she felt a small nip on her foot.

Startled, Ms Orduna, 21, a college student, rolled into the water. The moment she surfaced, she saw a “big, fuzzy, chunky bear of an otter” sitting on her board, she said. “I was like, wow, what do I do now?”