Comments on: Back where he otter be

Back where he otter be

Lexica — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 10:16:00 -0800

For the first time in more than half a century, there is a river otter living in San Francisco. Photos. Photos and video.

Experts aren't sure how the otter, dubbed "Sutro Sam" by his admirers, got to the Sutro Baths ruins, where he's been living for the past few weeks, but speculate he may have paddled across the mouth of the Bay from Marin County or stowed away on a boat. Of course, no MeFite would be foolish enough to let their dog jump in to swim with Sutro Sam like one of the people in the second-linked article did (NOW WOULD YOU). For those in the area who'd like to see him, apparently there's a good view from a nearby restaurant (which, incidentally, has been family-owned and operated since it opened in 1937). Perhaps unsurprisingly, he even has a Twitter account.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 10:23:10 -0800

There are lots of Otters in San Fransisco, they're usually wearing skinny jeans and flannel tops.

By: rtha

rtha — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 10:23:24 -0800

People who let their dog swim with the otter are idiots, for many reasons. Especially if this otter is from the clan in the Rodeo Lagoon (in the Marin Headlands), where they've been successfully hunting pelicans for a couple of generations now - to the point where pelicans very rarely hang out in the lagoon anymore. But! Yay otter in SF!

By: JHarris

JHarris — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 10:29:13 -0800

In his San Francisco digs, 'Sutro Sam' is living just as he otter O o ~~~

By: Sidhedevil

Sidhedevil — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 10:30:17 -0800

Yay! Urban river otter!

By: Kitteh

Kitteh — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 10:52:43 -0800

It was probably the only place he could afford.

By: KokuRyu

KokuRyu — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 10:59:37 -0800

This is cool. River otters live on the other side of the bay (where it's more wild) from where we live in town. A friend of mine took some photos of river otters near where we live, so they must have traveled across the bay to get here.

By: maryr

maryr — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 11:01:41 -0800

Am I the only one who kind of want to introduce a female to his habitat and let them repopulate the Sutro baths?

By: desjardins

desjardins — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 11:06:45 -0800

I've seen him eating these great big golden fish that look like carp. I have an idea!

By: madcaptenor

madcaptenor — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 11:08:47 -0800

Mrs. Tenor likes otters very much. I am thinking we should go up there and visit.

By: jimmythefish

jimmythefish — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 11:13:47 -0800

River otters are assholes. There was a romp of otters (yes, romp is a proper term for a group of otters!) living near a house on the waterfront in Victoria where we were renting a few years ago. I took our 1-year-old daughter out to look at them. Every time they saw you they'd hiss and bark at you. It felt very much like we were getting booed. And, they're a lot bigger than they look. They can be 6 feet long and resemble a furry horizontal doberman. They could probably break the skin.

By: arcticseal

arcticseal — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 11:35:48 -0800

Yay! I hope this is a sign of repopulation of otters and other wildlife. Also, I would just like to point out that we live in a wonderful age. This video of an otter was taken yesterday and we get to watch it today thousands of miles away.

By: wreckingball

wreckingball — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 11:38:37 -0800

They could probably break the skin. Yep.

By: Kid Charlemagne

Kid Charlemagne — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 12:24:52 -0800

Am I the only one who kind of want to introduce a female to his habitat and let them repopulate the Sutro baths? Nope. In fact, given his not being afraid of people, I'm kind of wondering if Sam wasn't released there by someone illegally keeping him as a pet until they realized that maintaining any kind of healthy environment for such a creature would be a huge undertaking. Of course, lots of people keep animals they shouldn't and never have this realization so maybe he did just make the swim.

By: Strange Interlude

Strange Interlude — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 13:49:59 -0800

Are we sure he doesn't just want to start up another S.F. jug band?

By: lkc

lkc — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 14:18:31 -0800

Is this where I post Sir Jarlsbergs tribute to rivers and otters?

By: KokuRyu

KokuRyu — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 16:10:55 -0800

By: dlugoczaj

dlugoczaj — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 16:55:54 -0800

Kid Charlemagne, I thought the same thing.

By: weeyin

weeyin — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 17:40:23 -0800

By: alynnk

alynnk — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 19:26:32 -0800

My sister and her boyfriend just arrived in San Francisco for a week's vacation. I may have just sent her this so she can find Sutro Sam and squee at him for me.

By: flaterik

flaterik — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 19:33:49 -0800

My friend and her mom evidently went to visit and took pictures earlier today and she sent some to me and now she is the best friend. The best friend.

By: borkencode

borkencode — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 23:20:04 -0800

There are river otters living in the Chicago River, at least the north branch. Their return is viewed as quite the triumph of turning the river from a horrible toxic mess to mearly a minor toxic mess. I don't think the population density is nearly high enough to stave off the Asian carp invasion. With the carp in the Sanitary and Shipping canal, which I doubt would offer suitable habitat for otters even if it were pristine, there isn't a long trip through the river to keep the carp out of lake Michigan.

By: snuffleupagus

snuffleupagus — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 07:33:32 -0800

Asked about the return of their long departed rivals, the sea lions of Fisherman's Wharf were heard to say "ARRRRR? ARR arr ARRR arrrr AARRRRR! PPPPppfffffht."

By: ActingTheGoat

ActingTheGoat — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 18:09:40 -0800

Meanwhile, on the other side of the lagoon...

By: purpleclover

purpleclover — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 10:27:57 -0800

Thanks for posting this. Otter was totally there, swimming around like a giant amazing weasel. I did not witness it myself, but there was a report that he ate a duck this morning. Combined with Beignet Sunday at Devil's Teeth Bakery, greatest morning ever? The weather is so clear at this time of year I understand why people move to the Sunset. Gorgeous.

By: madcaptenor

madcaptenor — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:12:27 -0800

The weather is so clear at this time of year I understand why people move to the Sunset. Gorgeous. I moved to the Sunset (from the Mission) because it feels a lot less crazy than some of the more "popular" (i. e. northeastern) parts of San Francisco. (Okay, I moved there because my girlfriend lives there and it was moving-in-together time. But that's part of the reason we chose to stay in her place instead of finding a new one.)