Spike in sea otter harassment causes U.S. Fish & Wildlife officials to issue warning

HAS MORE ABOUT WHAT WILDLIFE OFFICIALS ARE WORRIED ABOUT. LAUREN PAUL, GOOD MORNING. "OTTER 841" IS QUITE THE ATTRACTION FOR LOCALS AND VISITORS.. BUT NOW, MANY ARE REPORTING THAT PEOPLE OUT ON THE WATER ARE GETTING WAY TOO CLOSE TO SEA OTTERS.. AND ARE DISTURBING THEM IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT. (NATS) ..RECENTLY, OTTER 841 HAS BEEN MAKING HEADLINES NATIONWIDE.. BUT NOW, MANY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE HARASSING OTHER SEA OTTERS IN THE SAME AREA.. <DAN HAIFLEY // MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY FOUNDATION> 00:53 JUST BECAUSE ONE PARTICULAR SEA OTTER IS CLIMBING UP ON SURFBOARDS AND COMING TO HUMANS DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE WHOLE POPULATION DOES THAT. 1:02 LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER, MARK WOODWARD.. CAPTURED THESE PHOTOS.. OF KAYAKERS AND PADDLE BOARDERS GETTING CLOSE TO SEA OTTERS.. HE SAYS JUST IN THE LAST WEEK, PEOPLE CAUSED A GROUP OF ABOUT 10 OTTERS TO FLEE.. AND OTHER TIMES PEOPLE GOT AS CLOSE AS 2 FEET FROM THE OTTERS. <DAN HAIFLEY // MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY FOUNDATION> 2:35 IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE TO GO SEE OTTERS OR SPACE. AND THESE PHOTOS SHOWED EVIDENCE THAT PEOPLE WERE NOT FOLLOWING THOSE RULES. 2:45 THE MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT LISTS TWO LEVELS OF HARASSMENT.. LEVEL B HARASSMENT REFERS TO ACTS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DISTURB A MARINE MAMMAL OR STOCK IN THE WILD.. EXPERTS SAY THAT GETTING TOO CLOSE TO SEA OTTERS CAUSES THEM STRESS. <DAN HAIFLEY // MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY FOUNDATION> 00:42 AND THEY'LL TAKE AWAY ENERGY THAT OTHERWISE WOULD SPEND GETTING FOOD, TAKING CARE OF THEIR YOUNG, MANAGING THE KELP FOREST, DOING ALL THE THINGS THAT SEA OTTERS DO. 00:52 SOME LOCALS IN SANTA CRUZ WORRY ABOUT THE HARASSMENT OF THE OTTERS, EMPHASIZING THAT THE MONTEREY BAY IS THEIR HOMEá.. <KEITH SKAUG// SANTA CRUZ RESIDENT> 2:23 THEY WORK HARD JUST FOR THEIR SURVIVAL OR THEIR EXISTENCE. AND THEY DON'T NEED TO BE DISTRACTED FROM THAT 2:30 <REBECCA SKAUG// SANTA CRUZ RESIDENT> 3:28 WE'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE INVADED THEIR HOMES. AND I THINK THEY SHOULD BE LEFT TO BE COMFORTABLE 3:35 BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL WILDLIFE OFFICIALS SAY INTERACTING WITH OR GIVING FOOD TO WILD SEA OTTERS IS NEVER A GOOD IDEA... SWIMMERS, SURFERS AND BOATERS ARE URGED TO STAY AWAY.. THEY SAY IF AN OTTER NOTICES YOU, YOU'RE TOO CLOSE... REPORTING IN SANTA CRUZ.....ARIANA JASO...KSBW ACTION NEWS 8 SUNRISE. THE HARASSMENT OF SEA OTTERS... VIOLATES THE MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT..... IF PROSECUTED... VIOLATORS COULD FACE CIVIL PE