| Otter 841 | |
| Species: | Enhydra lutris nereis (southern sea otter) |
| Children: | 1 |
| Parents: | Otter 723 (mother) |
| Known For: | Unusual aggression and "stealing" surfboards by latching onto them |
| Birth Place: | Coastal Science Campus of UC Santa Cruz |
| Sex: | Female |
| Othername: | Sea Otter 841 Laverna |
Otter 841 (born), also known as Sea Otter 841, is a female southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) who attracted publicity in mid-2023 for her aggressive interactions with surfers and kayakers off the coast of Santa Cruz, California.[1] [2]
841 was born in captivity at the Coastal Science Campus of the University of California, Santa Cruz and raised at Monterey Bay Aquarium by her mother, Otter 723, with minimal human intervention. In June 2020 she was released into the wild at Moss Landing Wildlife Area.[3] [4]
In October 2023, it was confirmed that 841 had given birth to a pup.[5] After not being sighted again for several months, she reappeared in the Santa Cruz area in May 2024.[6]
Although Otter 841 does not have an official personal name, she has been nicknamed "Laverna" after the Roman goddess of thieves.[7]