① Sea lions appeared on the yacht
Sea lions are massive marine mammals. It’s not easy to see sea lions in the sea. The yacht was taken over by sea lions that are larger than humans.
Former professional soccer player Joshua Phillips was enjoying a vacation on the northwest coast of Washington State in the United States when he witnessed a strange sight on his yacht. Two sea lions were on board. The stern of the boat carrying the sea lions was almost submerged due to their massive size.
Fortunately, there were no people on the boat.
Joshua shared this video on social media and commented, “I don’t know who owns the boat, but they must be wondering why it’s soaking wet. Did they anticipate that the boat would be submerged by guests weighing over 2 tons?”
Sea lions can grow up to 10.8 feet long and weigh about 2,425 pounds. The weight of the two sea lions on the boat could easily exceed 2 tons.
It’s common to see sea lions in the sea overseas. A woman living in Canada shared a video on social media of a sea lion climbing onto her boat. The woman was so surprised that she chased the sea lion away. It turned out that the sea lion had climbed onto the boat to avoid killer whales.
When the video was shared, some netizens said the woman should have protected the killer whales. Others empathized with the woman, saying she must have been scared by the pod of killer whales approaching the boat. The woman claimed she had acted this way to avoid impacting the food chain but deleted the video as the controversy continued.
② Mass death of sea lions in California
Recently, dead sea lions, dolphins, and other marine animals were found in the sea off California. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), over 1,000 marine mammals were found dead or sick along the southern California coast between the 8th and 14th of the month. About 200 reports are being received daily. Marine animals are dying due to toxic phytoplankton.
In particular, hundreds of sea lions and at least 60 dolphins have died. The toxic phytoplankton that killed the marine animals, known as chain diatoms, produce a neurotoxin called domoic acid. This causes seizures, brain damage, and even death. The rapid proliferation of chain diatoms has led to the death of marine animals.
Marine shellfish and anchovies that eat chain diatoms and contain domoic acid are consumed by mammals such as dolphins, affecting the entire marine ecosystem. High concentrations of domoic acid have been found on the beaches of Orange County and San Luis Obispo County in California.
Chain diatoms usually increase from March to June yearly, but they are spreading more due to climate change. As the water temperature rises, the environment becomes more suitable for diatoms.
David Caron, a biology professor at the University of Southern California, said, “We have a significant amount of evidence that climate change is exacerbating the problems associated with harmful algae we are currently witnessing.” Experts explained that chain diatoms do not directly affect humans unless shellfish containing accumulated domoic acid are consumed.
③ Incidents of sea lions attacking humans when threatened
Meanwhile, there have been instances of sea lions charging at people in California. At La Jolla Cove in San Diego, a sea lion observation spot, sea lions often come up on the sandy beach to sleep or eat.
Recently, there have been several incidents of sea lions attacking people, increasing fear among tourists.
Although tourists visit to see sea lions, accidents often occur. There have been frequent incidents of tourists throwing stones at or attacking sea lions. Residents regret that instead of respecting and co-existing with sea lions, they have become mere spectacles for tourists.
Experts say that sea lions are not inherently dangerous, but they can attack humans if they feel threatened. Especially in La Jolla Cove, many of the female sea lions are pregnant, so it is recommended to maintain a distance from them.
By. Kang Min-jae (minjaaie33@mememedia.co.kr)
Most Commented