Latest news with #LaMendola
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Surfer fights for survival after vicious sea lion attack off coastline: 'Its eyes locked onto me with an unsettling ferocity'
A surfer in Southern California had a terrifying encounter with a sea lion off Oxnard, USA Today reported. Although the attack seemed to come out of nowhere and ended with the surfer seeking treatment at a hospital, it wasn't the animal's fault, as experts later revealed. RJ LaMendola was peacefully surfing and wasn't aware of any animals nearby when a sea lion approached him about 150 yards offshore. "Out of nowhere a sea lion erupted from the water, hurtling toward me at full speed," he wrote on Facebook. "Its mouth gaped wide, teeth flashing, and its eyes locked onto me with an unsettling ferocity." LaMendola tried swimming away, dodging, fighting off the sea lion's attacks, and keeping the board between him and the animal, but it still managed to bite him severely on the left buttock. "I don't know how to describe the fear that gripped me in that moment," he said. "So far from shore, so helpless, staring into the face of this creature that looked like nothing I'd ever seen — its expression was feral, almost demonic, devoid of the curiosity or playfulness I'd always associated with sea lions." When he got out of the sea lion's grip, it pursued him all the way back to shore. Luckily, LaMendola made it out of the water and drove himself to the hospital for treatment. Later, LaMendola spoke to experts at the Channel Islands Marine Wildlife Institute about the incident. They revealed that an algal bloom off Malibu has affected sea life, including more than 50 sea lions. The domoic acid they ingested from a single-celled organism called Pseudo-nitzschia can damage the heart but, perhaps more importantly, also causes brain damage. "It's a neurological condition caused by toxic algae blooms, and it's driving these creatures into aggressive, uncharacteristic behavior," LaMendola wrote. "The sea lion that attacked me wasn't just acting out — it was sick, its mind warped by this poison coursing through its system." Algal blooms aren't random. They occur more and more often due to nutrient pollution in our waters. The nutrients can come from wastewater or agricultural runoff — two forms of pollution that cause microbes in the water to multiply out of control. Depending on the microbes, they can block out light and kill off aquatic plants, choke fish, and poison wildlife, pets, and humans. You can do your part to prevent algal blooms by limiting your use of fertilizer in your yard. No fertilizer on your lawn means no nutrient-heavy runoff to pollute your local waterways. To make this easier, you can switch to a natural lawn that doesn't need as much maintenance as turf grass. Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
National Geographic
01-04-2025
- Health
- National Geographic
California's sea lions aren't really ‘demonic'—they've been poisoned
Still, LaMendola was lucky. The bite was deep and painful, but it didn't hit 'an artery, my face, or something worse,' he says. He called to report the attack to the Channel Islands Marine Wildlife Institute, which is when he learned that a harmful algal bloom is sickening hundreds of marine animals, including California sea lions and long-beaked common dolphins, leading to permanent brain damage and even death. Neurotoxins in algae can cause behavioral changes, and they're likely the reason why a formerly friendly presence at sea had turned ferocious. 'I truly care deeply about the ocean and its animals above all else,' LaMendola wrote to National Geographic while sitting in the emergency department. He added on social media: 'I've spent my life advocating for the ocean through my photography. Right now, I'm terrified…for the ocean and its inhabitants. Something's wrong.' Unlimited Access for Less Subscribe now and save $10 SUBSCRIBE LaMendola's worries align with reports from California officials, who say they are receiving up to a hundred calls per day from concerned citizens about sick sea lions and dolphins. And in late March, a 15-year-old girl was bitten by a sea lion in Long Beach, California; she was bruised but is now recovering. Why a sea lion would attack a human California sea lions are a success story of 1972's Marine Mammal Protection Act. In the late 1920s, no more than 1,500 sea lions were counted on the California coast. Today, about 250,000 sea lions live in the area, and they're generally a friendly presence. Attacks—especially unprovoked, as were the two recent cases—are exceptionally rare.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Poisoned ‘almost demonic' sea lions could terrorize beachgoers this summer
Southern California beachgoers have been warned to be wary around sea lions after a mass poisoning event has made some more aggressive and potentially dangerous to humans. A Ventura County surfer, RJ LaMendola, said that a sea lion attacked him on Friday and described the animal as "feral, almost demonic." In a Facebook post describing the incident, LaMendola wrote that he was surfing when a frightening sea lion attacked him and tried to rip him off his board. The surfer wrote that the animal then attacked him as he paddled to shore, sinking its teeth into his left buttock through his wetsuit. He eventually made it out of the water and recalled looking back to see the sea lion pacing the shoreline and watching him. 'It was super intense,' he told the LA Times, 'unlike anything I've ever seen in all the years I've been in the water.' LaMendola, who has been surfing the area since 2006, reported the encounter to the Channel Island Marine Wildlife Institute and learned that there had been a rash of incidents involving the animals in Santa Barbara and Ventura County. The strange behavior is believed to be caused by poisoning from domoic acid. Harmful algal blooms produce acids and can contribute to seizures and other health issues in sea lions. The algal blooms create a neurotoxin — the domoic acid — which then accumulates inside filter-feeding fish like anchovies and sardines. The fish are a primary food source for larger mammals like sea lions and dolphins. Wildlife officials have advised beachgoers not to approach any sea lion they suspect of being sick, as it could lash out and bite. Local officials are working to try to help the sea lions, according to the LA Times. As of Friday, at least 140 seal lions showing domoic acid poisoning had been transported to the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro, according to Chief Executive John Warner. Sea lions aren't the only marine animals affected by the poisoning; at least 50 dolphins have also been affected and found stranded on beaches. They unfortunately nearly always die from domoic acid poisoning, and typically must be euthanized. Sea lions have a 50 to 65 percent survival rate if they're treated quickly. In 2023, a similar poisoning event affected sea lions off the coast of California. More than 1,000 sea lions died as a result. Warner told the LA Times that climate change, driven by human burning of fossil fuels, is making toxic algal blooms more intense. Warming global temperatures caused by climate change and the increasing acidity of the ocean caused by runoff from nitrates have reportedly made these blooms more severe. For example, if it rains in LA County, the water can carry organic materials as it runs off to sea. Manure and fertilizer — not uncommon sights on farms and ranches — produce nitrate runoff. The nitrates feed the algae, which makes them stronger. 'I liken it to a bloom put on steroids from human-caused factors that make these blooms worse every time we see them,' Warner said. He said that this year's bloom is already worse than the 2023 event, and he described that year's bloom as the "worst domoic acid bloom in recorded history in Southern California." Domoic acid can accumulate in shellfish, like mussels and oysters, and can then lead to poisoning in humans via ingestion, according to the California Department of Public Health. The best way to avoid eating contaminated shellfish is to follow local guidance regarding algal blooms and to eat seafood prepared in restaurants, as their supply typically comes from commercial harvesters.
The Independent
25-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Poisoned ‘almost demonic' sea lions could terrorize beachgoers this summer
Southern California beachgoers have been warned to be wary around sea lions after a mass poisoning event has made some more aggressive and potentially dangerous to humans. A Ventura County surfer, RJ LaMendola, said that a sea lion attacked him on Friday and described the animal as "feral, almost demonic." In a Facebook post describing the incident, LaMendola wrote that he was surfing when a frightening sea lion attacked him and tried to rip him off his board. He eventually made it out of the water and recalled looking back to see the sea lion pacing the shoreline and watching him. 'It was super intense,' he told the LA Times, 'unlike anything I've ever seen in all the years I've been in the water.' LaMendola, who has been surfing the area since 2006, reported the encounter to the Channel Island Marine Wildlife Institute and learned that there had been a rash of incidents involving the animals in Santa Barbara and Ventura County. The strange behavior is believed to be caused by poisoning from domoic acid. Harmful algal blooms produce acids and can contribute to seizures and other health issues in sea lions. The algal blooms create a neurotoxin — the domoic acid — which then accumulates inside filter-feeding fish like anchovies and sardines. The fish are a primary food source for larger mammals like sea lions and dolphins. Wildlife officials have advised beachgoers not to approach any sea lion they suspect of being sick, as it could lash out and bite. Local officials are working to try to help the sea lions, according to the LA Times. As of Friday, at least 140 seal lions showing domoic acid poisoning had been transported to the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro, according to Chief Executive John Warner. Sea lions aren't the only marine animals affected by the poisoning; at least 50 dolphins have also been affected and found stranded on beaches. They unfortunately nearly always die from domoic acid poisoning, and typically must be euthanized. Sea lions have a 50 to 65 percent survival rate if they're treated quickly. In 2023, a similar poisoning event affected sea lions off the coast of California. More than 1,000 sea lions died as a result. Warner told the LA Times that climate change, driven by human burning of fossil fuels, is making toxic algal blooms more intense. Warming global temperatures caused by climate change and the increasing acidity of the ocean caused by runoff from nitrates have reportedly made these blooms more severe. For example, if it rains in LA County, the water can carry organic materials as it runs off to sea. Manure and fertilizer — not uncommon sights on farms and ranches — produce nitrate runoff. The nitrates feed the algae, which makes them stronger. 'I liken it to a bloom put on steroids from human-caused factors that make these blooms worse every time we see them,' Warner said. He said that this year's bloom is already worse than the 2023 event, and he described that year's bloom as the "worst domoic acid bloom in recorded history in Southern California." Domoic acid can accumulate in shellfish, like mussels and oysters, and can then lead to poisoning in humans via ingestion, according to the California Department of Public Health. The best way to avoid eating contaminated shellfish is to follow local guidance regarding algal blooms and to eat seafood prepared in restaurants, as their supply typically comes from commercial harvesters.
