Officials sound alarm after rare sea lion attack leaves teen shaken: 'Typically occur when water temperatures are warmer'

Sea lions are usually playful animals, and you don't typically hear about them attacking people. However, that's exactly what happened in Long Beach earlier this month.

What happened?

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Phoebe Beltran, a 15-year-old junior lifeguard candidate, was participating in tryouts when a sea lion came "out of nowhere" and started biting her. 

Beltran felt a shooting pain in her arm and feared it was a shark before realizing it was a sea lion that reportedly looked sick. The animal bit her repeatedly before she was able to escape and swim to shore. Lifeguards treated her immediately and sent her to the hospital. 

Luckily, she is OK and is eager to finish her lifeguard tryouts.

Why are sea lion attacks concerning?

While it's unclear what triggered this particular incident, toxic algal blooms can cause sea lions to behave aggressively toward people.

"These blooms produce domoic acid, which can cause seizures, a comatose state, and a head-craning behavior known as 'stargazing' in marine mammals," the Chronicle said.

Unfortunately, algal blooms are worsening and becoming more common as Earth's temperature rises.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "[Harmful algal bloom]-forming cyanobacteria thrive in warm, slow-moving water, and typically occur when water temperatures are warmer." 

Not only can this negatively affect animals, potentially making them aggressive, but it can also have severe economic impacts. According to the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, harmful algal blooms cost the United States $10 million to $100 million a year. 

Additionally, human-wildlife conflicts are on the rise, according to the BBC. As people move from cities to the countryside, they don't take the time to get to know and understand their wildlife neighbors. Animals are also migrating to areas populated by humans because of habitat destruction and rising temperatures. 

As a result, animals will attack out of fright or to protect their young or food. In some cases, they can be sick, which appears to be the case with Beltran's experience. 

If an animal attacks a human, it can be euthanized, which can ultimately harm biodiversity. The Royal Society explained that the air humans breathe and the food they eat require a healthy ecosystem. 

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What's being done about animal attacks?

Spanish National Research Council Researcher Vincenzo Penteriani told the BBC that 50% of these animal attacks could be avoided. For instance, humans can stay away from young animals and their food. 

A California State Parks wildlife expert also said not to feed the animals so they don't lose their natural fear of humans. 

Learning about local wildlife can foster a better understanding of how to keep yourself and the animals safe. 

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