Featured Image Credit: Heather Vannes
At the end of November, John Koester and his wife, Heather Vannes, decided to hit the open water of Elkhorn Slough for his birthday. While they were on their kayaking adventure, the couple was accompanied by an unexpected… and very furry SURPRISE!
Being avid outdoorsmen, Koester and his wife knew that they should keep their distance and made sure to watch the sea otters from about 50 feet away. Soon they noticed one of the playful mammals swimming their way, so they stopped paddling and all of a sudden the sea otter hopped right into the boat!
Heather Vannes told Fox2, “We just couldn’t believe it – he climbed into the boat!” She also described how the otter made itself at home while rolling around the front of the boat and even gave Koester’s shoe a little nibble.
This is an interesting situation because Koester knew not to touch or interact with the wildlife, so he just sat still and let the otter do its thing. Vannes remembers just waiting for the animal to slip off back into the water, but “He was just happy to lie there.”
When the pair decided to start paddling again, the sea otter eventually slid off and disappeared back into the water. Koester estimated that the mammal weighed close to 80-85 pounds.
What an amazing experience and we’re glad that Koester and Vannes followed proper protocol!