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SEAL OF DISAPPROVAL
SoCal pinnipeds go postal |
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May 8, 2002 Come on, admit it: when you see that cute, little sea lion pop its bristly snout up in the lineup you get all gushy inside, visualizing this jiggly creature dancing on one of those colorful little podiums, cluelessly balancing a shiny red ball on its wet nose. Next thing you know, your flippered surf buddy decides to look your way, flash his teeth, and take a chunk out of your knee, as if saying, "Here's a new trick for you, you stupid bas���"
Whoa, wait a minute -- a sea lion?! Yep, no joke. California's favorite pinnipeds are showing sharks that they want a piece of the action -- preferably a hunk of human flesh -- as a rash of April incidents opened eyes among surfers and marine mammal specialists alike. According to Dennis Lim's April article in Torrance, Calif.'s Daily Breeze, Sean Loye was knocked off his surfboard and bitten on the left thigh and hand while surfing Hermosa Beach Pier. Only after Loye punched the tubby beast square in the grill did the attacker flee the scene. The carnage left Loye with 17 stitches and a healthy dose of astonishment.
Our lovable-turned-lethal chums didn't stop at that. Two weeks ago, around the same time as Sean Loye's run-in, a young bodyboarder was brutally fondled by yet another portly stalker while frolicking in the crowded lineup of Salt Creek. According to Jason Young of U.S. Ocean Safety, the young man received a dog-like bite, courtesy of the vexed underwater creature. And like Loye, the young bodyboarder is surely contemplating the perplexing thought: why a sea lion?
Susan Andres, director of communication at the Marine Mammal Center, offers a few possible answers to that question. "[Sea lions] can be aggressive if they're hungry or if they're on the defensive," Susan explains. She stresses the fact that the sea lions we see in the ocean are not the same ball-juggling, crowd-pleasing critters that frequent Sea World, and if they feel threatened they act accordingly, just like any other wild animal. Susan also explains that many sea lions are treated for domoic acid poisoning, which is caused by dangerous algal blooms, as seen in red tides. When poisoned, the sea lions experience symptoms such as seizures and unresponsiveness. There is a possibility that poisoned sea lions could attack simply because of their weak and vulnerable conditions.
While there is no doubt that an 850-pound cellulose-laden sea lion popping its teeth and bearing down on you is a frightening thought, we sincerely hope Hollywood doesn't cast another Jaws-like horror movie like Nightmare at Salt Creek. The fact is that these animals are not Freddy Kruger types at all and, if they do attack, they afflict only minimal damage.
So is there a lesson from all this gossip? At least one: when you see a sea lion lazily rolling in with the tide, don't get in its face offering a stale, rancid fish treat for a game of catch, because chances are it's not gonna clap its fins and give a bark of approval. In fact, you may end up being the bait. -- Andrew Lewis
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