For 20 years, RJ Lamendola found peace in the water on the surfboard.
However, on the shores of Southern California last month, an ocean sea lion was thrown at him, biting and dragging him off the board.
“The machine was looking,” Lamendola wrote in a Facebook article, the animal that participated in the match just north of Los Angeles was “wild, almost evil.”
The surfer then learns that the animal suffers from domoic acid toxicosis- a neurological condition caused by a harmful algae blooming. Recently, one of the dozens of sick animals detected on California beaches – many of them suffer from symptoms such as seizures or intense drowsiness. Toxin usually causes death.
This special algae Bloom has emerged in California four years in a row and expressed concerns that it could turn into an annual event. The blooming of algae began earlier than normal this year and spread about 370 miles of the iconic Southern California coastline.
When Mr. Lamen went to the shore, Wetsuit was opened, bleeding and he went to the hospital. “It sounded like I’m hunting,” he said.
Where he was attacked, 15 -year -old Phoebe Beltran was doing a swimming test at Long Beach to become a lifeguard when a sea lion bit again.
Young, in his statement to the local US media, “I was very scared, I was very shocked, but I still felt the tremendous pain in my arms again and again.”
Two consecutive attacks gathered global cuffs and caused some concern between those who called California and their iconic beaches home. Although the attacks are rare, experts say that the number of toxic algae -blooming animals has increased.
John Warner, CEO of the Naval Mammal Care Center in Los Angeles, treats the sick life by Çiçek – BBC told BBC that these animals “naturally or actually attack people,” but toxins affect their behavior.
“These animals react to the fact that they are sick.” “They are astonished and most likely, most of them are seizures, and so all of their senses are not completely functional as they are normally, and they move from fear.”
Domoic acid accumulates in smaller fish such as sardines and anchovies such as sardines and anchovies, which cause large amounts of sea predators such as dolphins, seals and sea lions.
Acid exposure causes serious neurological problems, including seizures, seizures, orientation disorder and a narrative title behavior known as “stargazing”.
Some animals are numb and coma, while others can be aggressive.
“His behavior turns into something more unpredictable than we’re used to.” He said. “But in this blooming, we see that they are really neighboring and rather by this toxin.”
Marine Mammal Care Center is currently drowning with the flow and severity of sick animals.
According to Mr. Warner, the non -profit organization accepted at least 195 sea lions from February 20 to the end of March. During the same time period last year, the center saw only 50 animals.
If it is treated immediately, there is a chance to heal 50 to 65% of the sea lions, but Mr. Warner says the center has exhausted space and money to treat animals. Treatment contains anti-nephew drugs and sedation, followed by tube feeding and hydration twice a day.
Beyond that, he said that this year’s healing rate was slower.
In 2023, sick sea lions usually start to eat within a week, while most of them still fit for five weeks.
Healing comes in stages: from a coma status to or from orientation disorder, then aggressive again – when animals are the most dangerous due to the most ongoing neurological effects.
Adult marine lions can weigh hundreds of pounds and aggressive behaviors make housing complicated. If their behavior does not normalize, it may indicate permanent brain damage and humanity becomes necessary.
“If they are still aggressive or they don’t search properly, he tells us that he doesn’t work as he should be.” He said.
For now, Beachgoers is asked to stay away from the stranded animals – at least 50 feet – to resist and resist the charm of intervention.
“These are the same charismatic, really fun expert we still see along the coast.” He said. “We must remember that they are wild animals. They may be unpredictable even under normal circumstances.”
