by Ruth S. Baker

“A sea otter is stealing surfboards near Santa Cruz, California”
—The New York Times

(To the tune of “Surfin’ USA“)

If every seafront had an otter
Whose flippers worked OK,
Then there’d be no one else surfin’
In Californ-i-a;
You’d see it bitin’ that surfboard,
That angry surfer too,
Or simply ridin’ those breakers,
Just as good as you.

You’d catch that otter at Swami’s,
Or up in Santa Cruz,
Or showin’ off its fur wetsuit
Across the evenin’ news;
Sacramento to Fresno,
Whiskers gleamin’ with spray:
It’s an otter gone surfin’,
Surfin’ USA!