Latest news with #AsilomarStateBeach
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
Furious sea lion attacks and bites girl, 9, learning to surf off California coast
An angry sea lion bit a nine-year-old girl learning how to surf off the California coast, leaving her with bruises and puncture marks. Corale Olsen was enjoying surf camp at Asilomar State Beach with her siblings when they suddenly spotted the animal in the water. Within minutes, the ferocious sea lion pounced on Olsen while they swam 'pretty deep in the ocean,' she said. 'The sea lion went under my instructor's leg, and then it came up to me and it bit me. And then I got dragged under water,' Olsen told KSBW. 'It was pain, and I was screaming,' she recalled, adding that her surf instructor immediately stepped in to help. Her coach, Alex De Marignac, quickly grabbed Corale, her brother and sister and brought them to shore after she was bitten. 'I had two kids under each arm and one hanging off my neck, and yeah, we all made it,' De Marignac told the outlet. Corale was then taken to the emergency room to assess her injures. She was left with bruising on her leg and puncture wounds from the sea lion's bites. Olsen was seen standing on one leg as she gripped crutches in the emergency room. Her siblings, who witnessed the chaos unfold in the water and hospital room, were very concerned for her safety. 'I was very worried, honestly. I was in the room, and I was worried. So, I was telling her to calm down,' her sister, Skye Olsen, said. Meanwhile, De Marignac said this was the first time in his life he saw a sea lion attack like that. 'I have surfed in these waters since I was about 6 years old. Never, ever seen something like that,' Marignac explained. He believes the sea lion may have acted that way because it was territorial. 'I think the rule of thumb is make sure to give animals their space. I think it's totally fine to be curious, but I'd say never get a better look by getting closer to the animal,' he continued. Bruises and bite marks are seen on the girl's leg after the sea animal pounced on Olsen, who's spent most of her life with her siblings in the water, is eager to get back in despite the scary incident. 'If something happens, that doesn't mean that you can't stop doing what you love,' she stated. Sea lions are commonly spotted in California, but recently, attacks have been on the rise. According to marine experts, the animals have a short temper because toxic algae blooms have been poisoning marine mammals recently, Today reported. The algae makes sea lions become more aggressive, especially when they find themselves in shallow water around humans. Although authorities typically respond fast to sea lion attacks, the survival rate for the animals is about 50 percent thanks to the surge in algae blooming, per the outlet. Marine Mammal Care Center CEO John Warner says the sea lion's behavior doesn't stem from anger. 'They're reacting, not so much attacking,' Warner explained.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
9-Year-Old Girl Bitten by Sea Lion and 'Dragged Underwater' During Surf Camp: 'I Was Screaming'
NEED TO KNOW Corale Olsen, 9, says she was bitten by a sea lion while taking part in a surf camp off the coast of California The girl was bitten in the leg, and sustained multiple puncture wounds and bruises as a result Still, Corale says she does not plan to let the attack keep her from getting back in the waterA 9-year-old girl is recovering after she was attacked by a sea lion off the coast of California. Corale Olsen was participating in a surf camp with her brother and sister at Asilomar State Beach when the attack occurred, according to KSBW. The girl said she realized 'something really bad is going to happen' upon seeing the sea lion, which then bit her on the leg. 'It came up to me and then it bit me, and then I got dragged underwater,' Corale explained. She later added, 'It was pain, and then I was screaming. …It hurt so bad.' Surf instructor Alex De Marignac was able to get the kids, including Corale, back to shore after the attack, KSBW reported. Afterward, Corale spent the remainder of the day in a local emergency room. She had small puncture wounds and bruising from the bite on her leg. But Corale is not letting this incident stop her from going back in the water. 'If something happens, that doesn't mean that you stop doing what you love,' she explained. Meanwhile, De Marignac believes the incident may have occurred because the sea lion was acting territorial. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'I think the rule of thumb is make sure to give animals their space,' he said. 'I think it's totally fine to be curious, but I'd say never get a better look by getting closer to the animal.' Experts believe sea lion attacks are on the rise along California's coast due to a toxic algae bloom. Symptoms for sea lions who eat the contaminated prey reportedly include such things as lethargy, disorientation, foaming at the mouth, erratic behavior, seizures and, in severe cases, death. "These animals are reacting to the fact that they are sick," John Warner, CEO of Los Angeles' Marine Mammal Care Center, previously told the BBC. "They're disoriented, and most likely, most of them are having seizures, and so their senses are not all fully functional as they normally would be and they're acting out of fear." Read the original article on People
