News reports show that a 9-year-old girl is recovering after being bitten by a sea lion while surfing in Monterey County.
Corale Olsen told KSBW-TV that he was in the water at a surf camp in Beach, Asilomar.
“It was right next to me and I was like, ‘Oh, well, something really bad is going to happen.’ Then it just bit me,” she said. “It was pain and I was screaming.”
The incident comes months after a toxic algae flowering event off the coast of Southern California, which caused marine animals like sea lions to become sick and aggressive. Algae flowers led to widespread domo acid poisoning, causing sea lions to have seizures and fall into coma. Experts advised beach fans not to interact with animals considered sick, as they may even actively charge or bite without warning.
In March, 15-year-old Phoebe Bertrand told The Times that she was attacked by sea lions while completing a swimming test for the Cadet Junior Lifeguard Program in Long Beach.
The teenage attack comes weeks after a Ventura County surfer shared on Facebook that he was attacked by a sea lion while surfing in Oxnard. RJ Lamendola said the sea lions charged at him twice before biting him for the third time.
“That jaw was tightly tightened hard on my left butt cheek, and there was nothing like it didn’t penetrate my 5/4mm wetsuit,” he wrote. “The pain was sharp and immediate, but the fear got worse. I shook my head violently, pulling me off my board with my body and dragging me into the water.”
The incident involving Bertran and Ramendra happened around the time the toxic algae bloomed, but it is unclear whether any of the sea lions involved were affected. It is unknown if the sea lions in the latest attack were ill.
A spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Scripps Marine Association could not be reached for comment.
SURF instructor Alex de Marignac was unable to contact us immediately for comment, but told the news station that sea lions rarely attacked them and did not expect them to bite the young girl’s legs. Demarignac believes that the Seal Lion is just territory and seeks space.
“I’ve surfed in these waters since I was about six years old and I’ve never seen anything like that,” he said. “It feels like most kids are lightly chasing the sea lion, but nothing happens.”
De Marignac told the station that he quickly took the child out of the water, and while he clings to his neck while he quickly took the child out of the water.
The bite left a small puncture wound and a bruise on Corel’s leg, and she spent most of the day in the hospital. She is planning to return to the water.
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