Dippel said there was a story that wasn’t being told as part of the incident.
“In reality, this is an illegal surf camp, operating without permit, with no liability insurance from our department, that we had no knowledge of going on, and the instructor did not flag down a lifeguard. He just took the kid off the beach,” Dippel said. “I don’t know why he did that.”
Sea lion bites on people are relatively uncommon along the California coast, according to Giancarlo Rulli, a spokesperson for the Marine Mammal Center. Over the years, he said, there have been notable instances of sea lion bites around the San Francisco Bay at Aquatic Park.
Rulli, whose Sausalito-based nonprofit rescues marine mammals and provides education on the animals, said he empathizes with situations like Corale’s.
“But these are wild marine mammals, and oftentimes we get put into a false sense of consciousness about the fact that, because we share our backyard with them and these incidents are relatively uncommon, there are risks,” he said. “It’s important to reinforce that these animals are unpredictable, and we can do a lot in terms of making sure we stay safe and they stay safe by being aware of our surroundings.”
In cases where a sea lion does approach someone in the water, Rulli said the best thing to do is “exit the water all together” to avoid stressing the animal out and potentially further creating an unpredictable situation.
“I’m not going to pretend, nor would it be astute of me, to get into the mind of a marine mammal, but it’s very important to remember that these are wild animals — with the instincts that keep them wild and allow them to thrive in the wild, ” Rulli said. “For us humans, when we’re in the water, it’s important to remember that if a seal or sea lion approaches you, to not be demonstrative.”
Rulli said that includes avoiding splashing water around and vocalizing.
