‘Succession’ Actor Details Her Painful Experience Being Attacked by an Otter in the Feather River

Otters, renowned for their charming habits like hand-holding and rock collecting, are making headlines for their aggressive behavior towards humans. Crystal Finn, known for her role in “Succession,” encountered this unexpected side of otters in July in the Feather River near the Plumas National Forest.

Recounting the incident to the San Francisco Chronicle, Finn described feeling something on her back and leg. The otters appeared suddenly, attacking her and then disappearing under the water only to reappear and attack again. Finn received medical treatment for the bites she sustained, with the bites on her legs being particularly painful.

“I saw these three little heads pop up, right in front of me. But I was so disoriented. Seeing otters — initially, it just didn’t add up,” she shared in an interview with the Mercury News.

As she swam away for safety, the otters continued their onslaught on her legs.

“They were all coming for me,” Finn recounted. “It seemed rather orchestrated. And as soon as I was out of there, they seemed happy to bob along, go on their way.”

Otters are known for their strong bites, with an estimated force of 615 pounds per square inch, far surpassing the average human’s bite force of around 162 pounds per square inch.

While such encounters with otters are unusual, there has been an uptick in reports recently. In Northern California’s Serene Lakes, near Lake Tahoe, another swimmer was attacked by otters, necessitating emergency medical attention. This incident occurred just days before Finn’s encounter.

Finn’s perspective on otters has understandably changed after her traumatic experience. “If I had seen [the otters], I don’t think it would have given me pause,” Finn told the Chronicle. “I would have thought, ‘Oh those cute river otters.’ … It would have been a lot worse.”