SeaWorld San Diego Studies Sea Lion That Attacked Teenager

After a teenager was surprisingly bitten twice by a sea lion, officials and veterinarians from SeaWorld San Diego have spoken out about why the attack occurred.

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SeaWorld San Diego is a fantastic marine animal Park with plenty of rides and animal encounters. There’s the Electric Eel roller coaster, sea turtles, arctic rescue, shipwreck rapids, dolphins, and even Sesame Street Bay for the younger Guests.

However, the Southern California Theme Park takes the most pride in its local conservation efforts, especially when it comes to helping out with local aquatic wildlife. And their services were needed when a teenager was unexpectedly attacked by a sea lion on a nearby beach.

SeaWorld San Diego Shares Findings About Sea Lion Attack

Related: OSHA Reports Woman Bit By Orca at SeaWorld Orlando

While swimming off the coast of Del Mar on the Fourth of July, Dane Blair, 14, was bitten by a wild sea lion. The animal first bit Blair on his knee, then on his right buttocks. “It definitely hurt my butt because it took a big, big bite.” The soon-to-be high schooler swam to shore with the sea lion still biting into him.

After shaking the animal loose on the shore, Dane returned to his family, who documented the injury with their phones. They notified the lifeguards, who contacted SeaWorld. According to the victim, the sea lion was acting strange. “It looked really tired. Its eyes were closed, and its mouth was twitching.” His father, Brian Blair, agreed, “It was lethargic. It clearly wasn’t doing well.”

SeaWorld San Diego successfully captured the animal and is doing what it can to treat it. According to a SeaWorld spokeswoman, the cause of the behavior change was a naturally occurring algae bloom currently infecting marine life off San Diego’s coast. SeaWorld veterinarian Kelsey Herrick, DVM, agreed, noting that while fish that eat the algae aren’t affected, animals that eat the fish are. This includes dolphins and sea lions.

Naturally, Brian Blair is nervous about the situation. “If this algae bloom is really causing animals to act erratically, we probably need to be a little bit more careful.” However, his son took on a more sympathetic tone when talking about his attacker. “I hope it gets better.”

What do you think should be done with the sea lion? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!