All the things to worry about in the ocean—sharks, jellyfish, rogue waves—who would’ve thought a sea lion would make the list?
Fifteen-year-old Phoebe Beltran certainly didn’t.
But during a junior lifeguard tryout in Long Beach, she found herself in the jaws of a surprise attacker.
“I’ve been stung by stingrays, pinched by crabs, even bitten by tiny fish,” Phoebe said. “But a sea lion?”
She was powering through the final stretch of her 1,000-yard swim when she suddenly felt something grab her arm.
What Was Her First Thought?
Shark. Panic set in. “Please don’t bite my arm off. Please don’t kill me,” she recalled thinking.
But when she went under, she caught a glimpse of a shadow—it wasn’t a shark at all.
The sea lion clamped down, leaving bite marks and bruises before finally letting go.
Phoebe managed to reach shore, where lifeguards and her mother rushed to help.
She was taken to the hospital, treated for her wounds, and released the same day.
Sea lion sightings are common in Long Beach, but attacks? Almost unheard of.
Some experts suspect toxic algae poisoning, which can make the animals aggressive.
Shaken but not defeated, Phoebe is already planning her return to the water.
“I’m not letting this stop me,” she said.
