Eileen Chen

Student

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Articles by Eileen Chen

On October 15, 2025, amidst the rolling waves of Steamer Lane, a renowned surf break in Santa Cruz, California, 21-year-old college student Isabella Orduna was wrapping up a surf session when she felt something pinch her foot. She ditched her board and jumped into the chilly Pacific, only to find “a big, fuzzy, chunky bear of an otter” lounging on her surfboard. Orduna recounted, “I was like, wow, what do I do now?”, as her board had been seized by an uninvited otter.