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A resistant, pregnant sea otter climbed up on a California surfer's unoccupied board in Santa Cruz last Wednesday and refused to give it back. According to an interview conducted by CNN, Nick Ericksen had just finished catching a wave and was swimming beside his board when the otter hopped on top of it.
"It climbed on and made itself at home," Erikson told CNN.
In an effort to get the sea otter off of the board and get back to shore, Ericksen tried splashing it and pulling on the front of the board with no prevail. Every time Ericksen touched the board the sea otter would jump in after him, only to get back up on the board moments later.
"Its like a pitbull puppy in a sense. It looks cute but you know how dangerous it can be."
Ericksen's friend Chad Underhill-Meras was recording when the sea otter took over the surfboard. Underhill-Meras recommended that Ericksen just leave the board, but Ericksen did not want to give it up. Another surfer eventually came to the rescue and got the board away from the otter. In a last attempt to take control of the situation, the sea otter charged at Ericksen who escaped the water without any otter-induced injuries.
CNN mentioned that the sea otter took a few chunks out of the board, but Erickson plans to leave them as a momentous of the rare experience.