Ferocious Otter Attacks Triathlon Swimmer!

Triathletes Sanford and Mary-Jane Schmid put on their wetsuits on August 22 and set off to swim a 1,500m lap around Lake Lillian in Invermere, British Colombia when Sanford felt something pulling on his foot. Schmid figured he’d just swum into a log, and resumed swimming.

Then he felt it again. Turns out he was being attacked by an otter. Sanford sought refuge on a nearby wooden dock as the otter continued to attack him. Finally, after fighting the beast all the way to the safety of the dock, he reached shallow water.

Schmid was able to pull his war-torn body up on the dock while the otter swam underneath. Once out of the water, he saw the chewed-up legs of his wetsuit and blood gushing from his foot. His wife took him to the hospital where Schmid was given oral and intravenous antibiotics, and a hearty tetanus shot and sent home on crutches.

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R.I.P. Nyac!

Nyac, the YouTube sea otter has died!

Nyac gained worldwide fame when a video of her holding hands with another otter hit YouTube. More than 11 million people have watched the video since it was posted last March.

The 20-year-old female otter was Vancouver Aquarium’s oldest resident, and a survivor of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Nyac was born in late 1988 and came to the Vancouver Aquarium in 1989, along with eight other otter survivors of the deadly oil spill.

Her health had been deteriorating over the past three years due to leukemia. She passed away yesterday morning.

R.I.P. Nyac!

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