Surfers at an Orange County hotspot were battling more than just big waves earlier this week.
A sea lion acted aggressively toward surfers at the Wedge in Newport Beach, chasing them out of the water and standing its ground on the sandy shore.
“This behavior went on for well over two hours,” said YouTube user @DingoSaidSo, who chronicled this incident and other memorable moments at the Wedge. “The [sea lion] would occasionally disappear and then reappear in the lineup and chase everybody back to shore. The sea lion would chase people all the way up the sand but I never saw it get more than a few feet from the water’s edge.”
The Pacific Marine Mammal Center blamed the sea lion’s behavior on the ongoing issue of domoic acid poisoning caused by naturally occurring algae.
“Due to brain damaging effects of domoic acid when ingested, sea lions can display symptoms of aggressive behavior, disorientation, loss of motor skills, agitation, or appear completely comatose,” the PMMC said. “This long-term exposure can lead to permanent brain damage and behavioral abnormalities like you see in this video.”
Domoic acid has also been blamed for playing a role in a spate of sickened pelicans being treated in Huntington Beach.
“For your safety, please keep your distance in and out of the water and call our rescue hotline if there is a sick or injured marine mammal in Orange County (949-494-3050 ext. 9),” the PMMC said.
