VIDEO: Otter hijacks surfboard in tense standoff with young Santa Cruz surfers

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KGO) -- An otter disrupted a youth surf club at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz, approaching the group and climbing onto a surfer's board.

The tense encounter was caught on video by an onlooker, who noted that the animal appeared to be moving in for an attack, though the otter's exact intentions remain unclear.

Before the situation could escalate, one of the surfers charged toward the marine mammal multiple times, successfully scaring it away and creating a safe distance for the group.

No injuries were reported, but the incident adds to a growing list of unusually bold otter encounters along the Santa Cruz coastline.