Known as Otter 841, the animal was born at the Monterey Bay Aquarium but was released into the wild in 2021.
The organizations say a team of capture specialists from the CDFW and the Monterey Bay Aquarium has been trying to catch the otter since July 2, but has been unsuccessful.
Earlier this week, officials used a dummy surfer to try and lure the otter but were unable to do so.
Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Otter Program Manger Jess Fuji says that "although this otter was born in an animal care facility, she was raised by her mother with minimal human contact."
"Upon capture, the sea otter will undergo a health assessment and eventually be re-homed in a zoo or aquarium," state and federal wildlife officials said in a joint statement issued Friday.
"The usual method for safely capturing healthy wild sea otters is a clandestine underwater approach," said Colleen Young, a sea otter biologist at the CDFW.
"In this case, however, the water has generally been too murky for us to see the animal from below. We are adapting other capture methods to this situation but must ensure the safety of both the sea otter and the people attempting capture, which has limited our options and opportunities," Young continued.
The otter has been tagged with a radio transmitter which allows its location to be tracked but scientists believe capturing the otter could take days or weeks.
"The goal is the safe capture of this female sea otter to remove the potential pubic safety risk while also recognizing and acknowledging the important role sea otters play in coastal ecosystems along the Central California coast," said Lilian Carswell of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The organizations say that once the otter is captured it will be taken to Monterey Bay Aquarium where it will be examined before being brought to a permanent home at an aquarium or zoo. The organizations emphasize that "euthanasia and other lethal methods are not under consideration."
Officials are asking surfers and kayakers to avoid approaching sea otters.
