Morro Bay photos show sea otter nibbling on horn shark in ‘first documented instance’
Two Morro Bay nature photographers recently captured an unusual sight on camera: a Southern sea otter clutching a horn shark while trying to eat it.
Don Henderson and Alice Cahill, a retired couple, were watching otters off the Embarcadero on the morning of Nov. 10 when they spotted the otter and its meal.
Henderson said he saw the otter first, sometime between 7:45 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., and snapped some shots before calling his wife over.
“I saw the otter appearing to nibble on the shark, as it cradled the fish with its body, and I knew that was unusual,” Henderson said. “I looked at it through binoculars and snapped photos.”
Henderson said he was initially “perplexed” because he’s used to seeing otters eating clams, mussels and shellfish — not horn sharks, a species of bull shark.
What was sea otter doing with horn shark?
After taking some photos, Henderson and Cahill met with Michael Harris, a senior environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who arrived within minutes of the otter disappearing into the bay.
“I just missed it. I got there right after the otter swam away apparently,” Harris said. “This is the first documented instance of an otter eating a horn shark. Otters have been observed with skates and rays, but not sharks.”
Harris said that he believes the otter was foraging and became interested in the horn shark, a bottom feeder known to inhabit Central Coast ocean areas. Both otters and horn sharks feed on similar foods, and that’s likely how the encounter first occurred, he said.
“It really is hard to say what the otter was doing with it,” Harris said. “I really can’t say with any certainty. ... But this has started a lot of interesting conversations in the otter research community.”
Harris said he closely inspected the photos and didn’t see any cuts or bite marks on the shark that indicated the otter had broken the skin of the fish. But, he added, otters would have the ability to bite through the tough exterior of the horn shark.
Southern sea otters are a threatened species, but Harris said the species’ population has improved in the Morro Bay area. The playful marine mammals often draw spectators along the boardwalk.
“We have been warning people in kayaks and stand-up paddle boards to be mindful that otters can be aggressive, and their bite would be more powerful than any dog,” he said, “so it’s good to be safe and keep your distance.”
Morro Bay animal encounter attracts attention
Photos of the sea otter’s encounter with the horn shark by Cahill and Henderson were published by USA Today and shared by Sea Otter Savvy, a nonprofit program that was started in 2015 by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Friends of the Sea Otter, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“If you watch sea otters long enough you will see a range of sea life brought to the surface,” Sea Otter Savvy tweeted. “These ‘jaw-dropping’ images are the first record of an interaction between a sea otter and a horn shark.”
Henderson and his wife, who won grand prize in the 2012 Audubon Magazine Photography Awards for her photo of a red-shafted Northern flicker, spend hours in Morro Bay shooting photos.
“Otters are really fascinating to watch and one of the best things that Morro Bay has to offer,” Henderson said.
After capturing shots of the sea otter grappling with the horn shark, “We have received calls from around the world,” Henderson said. “We’re planning to donate any proceeds we earn from the photos to marine mammal centers or other conservation efforts.”
This story was originally published November 21, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
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