Sea Lion Attacks Teen During Long Beach Junior Lifeguard Tryouts

Long Beach officials have postponed tryouts for the city’s Junior Lifeguards program after a sea lion bit a teenage girl participating in a swimming trial.

The incident occurred on March 30 as a group of about a dozen cadets, aged 15 to 17, swam roughly 25 yards from shore in front of the Long Beach Lifeguard Headquarters at 2100 Ocean Boulevard, according to Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Jack Crabtree.

Crabtree described the sea lion as “aggressive,” stating that it swam directly up to the girl and bit her on the arm. Lifeguards stationed along the route quickly intervened, rushing to assist the girl while a nearby lifeguard boat helped two other teenagers back to shore. The sea lion swam away after the attack.

In an interview with KTLA, the girl recounted her fear during the encounter, initially believing she was being attacked by a shark. Fortunately, she sustained only bites and scratches on her arm and hand and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

While sea lion attacks on swimmers are rare, experts say recent reports of erratic and aggressive behavior among the animals may be linked to a toxic algae bloom affecting the Southern California coastline. The bloom produces domoic acid, a neurotoxin that accumulates in small fish consumed by sea lions, leading to disorientation and aggression. The Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro has been overwhelmed with cases of sick and dying sea lions as a result.

There is no clear timeline for when the toxic bloom will subside, but in the meantime, Long Beach officials have postponed all Junior Lifeguard tryouts. When they resume, lifeguards will continue closely monitoring the courses to ensure participants’ safety from sea life, tides, and other ocean hazards.