A teenage girl in Long Beach is now on the mend after a rare and shocking sea lion attack took place during what was supposed to be an ordinary day of junior lifeguard tryouts. Fifteen-year-old Phoebe Beltran described her ordeal as being repeatedly attacked by the sea lion, leaving her with a series of cuts and bruises on her arm. The incident, which occurred near the lifeguard headquarters at Ocean Boulevard and Cherry Avenue, took everyone by surprise—including career professionals in marine safety.
During her 1,000-yard swim for the junior guard cadet tryout, Beltran felt "an intense pain" that turned out to be a sea lion biting into her right arm. "Please don't kill me. Please don't let me regret trying out," Beltran recounted in an interview obtained by NBC Los Angeles. The teen managed to escape and reach the shore with help from lifeguards as the sea lion swam away quickly. Following the attack, the tryouts were cancelled and rescheduled.
According to the Long Beach Fire Department, this kind of aggression from sea lions is uncommon. Captain Jack Crabtree told ABC7 that while the sea lion seemed aggressive, there was no evidence at the time to suggest it was sick. Meanwhile, Gonzalo Medina of the Long Beach Fire Department noted to NBC Los Angeles that "in my 25 years of service, I've never heard of something like this happen before."
The sea lion's unusual behavior has raised concerns about possible environmental factors, such as toxic algae, playing a role in its aggression. Doctors have speculated that a toxic algae outbreak might have poisoned the sea lion, as referenced by Beltran during her interview with CBS News Los Angeles. Last month, over 50 sea lions were reportedly sickened by a possible domoic acid outbreak in Malibu. Despite the traumatic incident, Beltran expressed a determination to overcome her fear and get back in the water to continue her pursuit of becoming a junior lifeguard.
