Curious Man Spots Strange Animal In The Water—And He Wades Into More Than He Bargained For!

Many people go to the beach just to soak up some sun, washed down by a few waves.

They’re focused on getting a tan, winning at beach ball and maybe catching the eye of that cute lifeguard that just sauntered by.

Others go to the beach hoping for some interesting wildlife sightings.

Seagulls, fish, pelicans, jellyfish, maybe even the occasional dolphin make our day totally worth the sunburn.

Sometimes, though, you get a little more than you bargained for when you’re wildlife watching at the beach.

Certainly, the sighting of a shark can cause your heart to beat a little faster, right? Stay out of the water!

Recently at Cadboro Bay Beach in British Columbia, one man had an up-close-and-personal encounter with an animal you would never expect to find at a public beach.

The sun was shining, the sound of laughter was in the air and it was like any other ordinary day at the beach.

Then one of the folks on the beach noticed something strange…out in the water, not too far from shore, was a dark object floating in the waves.

He wasn’t sure what it was; perhaps a swimmer in trouble? Or an animal that had gotten swept into the current?

Ignoring the thought that what it was could be dangerous, he headed into the water. And boy, he got the surprise of his life!

A woman who goes by the YouTube handle AllisonMoo saw what was happening and lucky for us, she started filming.

She watched through the viewfinder with an open mouth as the scene unfolded in front of her.

As the dark spot in the water drew closer to shore, the man and AllisonMoo could see that it was…

…an otter! That’s right, the playful sea creature that is the model for a host of stuffed animals because, well, who wouldn’t want to cuddle with an otter!?

What on earth was one doing so close to a shoreline filled with noisy humans?

They are very social creatures and they spend most of their lives literally touching others of their species.

When they sleep, they join hands into sort of a “raft” so that no one floats away and into danger.

Mothers sleep floating on their backs with their baby lying safe on their chest.

The entire species craves connection to another creature, so, perhaps this one had floated away from her group and was now lonely…?

The man stepped deeper into the water. He knew there was a possibility the otter might be injured or sick, and it could prove to be a danger to him.

But, ignoring the possible threat, he wanted to be closer.

And, apparently, so did the otter. It got closer and closer, until it was right at his legs.

Then it began to weave around him much like an excited puppy whose owner just walked in the door.

It rubbed against the man’s leg and seemed to want affection. The man pondered for only a moment before offering what the creature wanted.

People spend a lot of money to watch from behind a glass as otters perform their natural magic.

Who would dream they would start out with a simple beach trip and end up patting a wild otter on the back???

Otters have very tough skin, and when they play together they can use their teeth on each other without inflicting much damage.

Human skin on the other hand (and other leg!) is a lot more tender and easily punctured.

As this  woman in Montana  learned when she suffered wounds that needed hospital treatment when an otter attacked her unprovoked.

Knowing that didn’t deter the brave man from enjoying his once-in-a-lifetime encounter, however.

Although any of us might be tempted to do the same exact thing if faced with the opportunity, it wasn’t a particularly smart move for the man.

That adorable otter playfully swimming around his legs could nip at him with teeth twice as tough as any human’s.

At only 30 pounds, the otter wasn’t likely to pull off a deadly assault, but he could definitely dole out some major damage if he felt threatened.

Luckily, the otter definitely didn’t feel threatened. He treated the man as if he was any other otter floating about in the sea.

Suddenly, either he realized it wasn’t an otter he was interacting with, or he remembered a previous engagement, and he was off.

With one quick look back at the man over his shoulder, perhaps thanking him for the play time, he was gone.

The man watched as the otter became just a dark speck in the water for a while and then totally disappeared.

He still couldn’t believe that he had just spent quality time with a wild otter.

Luckily, for all of us, it had been captured on video!

The next time you visit an aquarium or water zoo and get to watch the antics of the otters, remember this man and his Close Encounter of the Cutest Kind!

We hope wherever the otter went next, it found an equally hospitable playmate. We all love otters. They are such playful creatures!

Source: Honest to Paws