Beachgoers had come out to swim in the water and lay in the sun that day, but what they witnessed when they stared at the water left them dumbfounded. Naturally, they used their phones to film the situation, but watching a video recording wasn’t the same as actually experiencing the strange encounter. This was something they would likely never experience again, and it all started when they saw something lurking in the water.
The day was sunny and bright at Cadboro Bay Beach, located in British Columbia. The beach was full of tourists and locals who were enjoying the lovely weather. Usually, Canadian waters are a bit chilly, but people enjoy taking a quick dip. They also like to sunbathe while their kids play in the sand and build moats and castles. But on this particular day, beachgoers were distracted by something that was entirely different.
No waves were hitting the shore and the bay was very calm, which is why a strange object was spotted almost immediately. It was floating by the edge of the water and was dark colored. It had the shape and size of a wooden log too, which was common in British Columbia, which has so many forests. But as beachgoers took a closer look at the unidentified floating object, they realized right away that this was a lot more than a wooden log.
People assumed that the object was drifting with the flow of the water, but eventually, they realized, it wasn’t going with the flow at all. That’s when they came to the conclusion that this was a living creature and not some form of inanimate object. Beachgoers began recording the encounter because they knew that the footage would be worth posting on social media. Besides, British Columbia was well known for having a wide variety of exotic wild animals.
British Columbia has a vast amount of marine life such as porpoises, otters, whales, dolphins, and orcas. On occasion, land animals like bears, caribou wade and wolves will venture into the ocean to see if they can find something to eat. So, whatever the creature was floating along the shore could have belonged to any number of sea or land animals. But one beachgoer decided to get a little closer so he could uncover the truth behind this mystery.
A man wearing cargo shorts, who was not identified, was filming the odd-looking creature on the shore. But he wanted to take a closer look, so he continued walking deeper into the ocean until the water touched his knees. He probably assumed that he could get a better look at the unusual animal if he got a bit closer. But he didn’t realize that the animal was just as curious about him as he was about it.
At first, everyone assumed that the creature was drifting in the water. But when the man walked deeper into the water, the animal decided to swim towards him. However, the man kept his feet planted firmly in the sand. He didn’t even move an inch, which had onlookers a little worried. Could the animal have been dangerous? This guy could have been in serious trouble without even realizing it. But this didn’t stop them from continuing to film, and it was fortunate they didn’t.
Beachgoers decided to get closer to get a better look as the creature slowly made his way towards the man in the water. The animal didn’t seem to be hunting or trying to ambush the man in any way. If anything, the creature was casually swimming towards him. When the creature was only a few feet away from him, the man bent down a bit, put his hand out and touched it. And that’s when something incredible occurred.
The creature was a wild sea otter and it was looking for a belly scratch. So, it flipped on its back and got ready while beachgoers realized what the creature was. People couldn’t help but laugh when they saw the marine animal swimming playfully around the guy. It was quite friendly too, which is why the man was more than happy to oblige and continue petting it. But he was possibly unaware of the danger he could have found himself in.
Otters aren’t usually aggressive, but if their young are nearby or if they feel threatened, they can potentially become very dangerous. They have claws and teeth that can cause some serious damage. One Montana town was in the news after otters started attacking people without warning. This forced authorities to warn folks about the threat in the river. One woman ended up getting stitches after an otter mangled her arm and broke her wrist. But was the otter in Cadboro Bay a threat?
The friendly otter did nip at the man’s calves, but it was just being playful, and the bites didn’t seem to bother him at all. In fact, he continued to pet the otter, but then it noticed the man’s hands and decided to nip at them as well. This caused the man to scream in pain. It seemed the otter had unintentionally bit him too hard, but the man knew it was just an accident, so he wasn’t upset. Eventually, the otter decided to stop playing.
After playing with its new human companion, the otter started to swim away. But then, it turned around and started playing with the man again, and the guy was happy to continue bonding with the wild animal. Meanwhile, the beachgoers were shocked by the bond these two had formed. Eventually, the otter swam away and this time it was for good. So, everyone waved goodbye to the creature. But they were left with one question. What was the otter doing so close to shore all by itself?
Sea otters are usually social creatures. In fact, they’re often seen in one of two groups. They’re either with a group of females and their young, or in an all-male group. However, river otters are more solitary. Still, it’s rare to see one all alone. No one knows why this otter was in Cadboro Bay, but they have a few theories.
Sea otters spend a lot of time floating on their backs. They even do this when they’re asleep, so it’s possible it was taking a nap when the current separated it from the rest of its group. But this is unlikely since sea otters rest with a group of otters who hold paws together. This is called a raft. But another possible explanation for the otter’s presence could be because it was hungry.
Sea otters will dive underwater to find prawns, mussels, snails, squid, abalone, and clams to eat. Since they have horrible vision, they rely on their sense of touch to find food on the sea floor. Perhaps the otter was so busy looking for something to eat that it had failed to realize that its group had floated away. Regardless, the otter didn’t seem too concerned, and it probably had something to do with the human he befriended.