A sea lion bites a 15-year-old girl swimming in Long Beach. Experts accuse toxic algae
According to the girl’s family, a 15-year-old girl was attacked during a swimming test in Long Beach and was sick by a sea lion that recently blossomed with toxic algae.
She told The Times that Phoebe Beltran is completing her swimming test for the junior lifeguard program for the cadets near 2100 Ocean Avenue on Sunday.
She felt “stinging” over and over again as she swam in a 1,000-yard swim. The teenager hid under the water, saw the shadows and was worried that it was a shark.
“I’m scared,” she said. “I think it’s a shark and want to bite my arm to kill me.”
Phoebe’s mother, Bibiana Beltran, said she heard her daughter yelling. She noticed something brown in the water, which she initially thought was seaweed.
The lifeguard rushed in to help the girl on the shore, and Bibiana saw a sea lion popping up over her head. Then she saw other sea lions in the water.
“We noticed her arms bloody when she was close enough,” Bibiana Beltran said. “As a mother, you were frightened because you didn’t want it to be your child.”
According to experts, the toxic algae incident has worsened due to ocean temperatures caused by climate change and ocean acidification caused by nitrate runoff.
The report said a sea lion attacked “wild, almost demonic” while a surfer was on the Ventura County board last month.
In the latest incident, the paramedics quickly gave Phoebe first aid to the emergency room.
The girl has stabs and scratches, but no stitches are needed.
“I got much better physically,” Phoebe said. “I got painkillers and antibiotics. It’s usually an emotional roller coaster, not knowing what’s going on, and there are flashback moments.”
Bibiana Beltran said doctors in the emergency room contacted the local marine mammal center to learn how to treat sea lion attacks, as doctors had never seen them before. She said doctors were told about the toxic algae that made sea lion disease bloom, sometimes aggressive.
“We’re grateful that it’s not as bad as you hear a scream in the water,” Bibiana said.
Sea lions and other marine mammals in Southern California have become ill due to recent poisoning incidents.
Intake of polysaccharides from harmful algae blooms can cause sea lion seizures or start the head with a movement called “stargazing.” They can also fall into a coma. Experts advise people not to interact with animals considered sick, as they can actively sting and even bite people.
