Phoebe Beltran, a 15-year-old lifeguard trainee, experienced a terrifying incident during a qualification swim in Long Beach when she was bitten by a sea lion, which she initially thought was a shark. At just 25 feet from shore, the unexpected attack left her frightened and confused. Witnesses, including her mother, mistook the event for a shark attack, leading to panic. Although rare, such incidents with sea lions may be increasing due to behavioral changes linked to environmental factors, like toxic algae. Thankfully, Phoebe was unharmed and her mother expressed relief that the situation wasn't worse.
"Out of nowhere, I feel something biting my arm. I saw a shadow of it, and all I'm thinking is, 'Please, don't be a shark. Please, don't take off my arm, and please, don't kill me.'"
"I saw something come up, like a fin, and somebody yelled, 'Shark.' We all rushed to the water and when I realized it was my daughter ... that's when I broke down."
"In my 25 years of service, I've never heard of something like this happen before, but sea lions can lash out if feeling threatened."
"Certainly a side effect of the acid is potentially aggressive behavior, but there's no way to tell."
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