A 15-year-old Long Beach girl is recovering after a terrifying and unexpected ocean encounter with a sea lion that attacked her over the weekend.
The March 30 incident unfolded in front of a lifeguard tower at 2100 Ocean Boulevard on what was supposed to be a big day for Phoebe Beltran and her family. She was at the beach to complete her swim test for the cadet lifeguard program in Long Beach.
“Out of nowhere, I feel something biting my arm,” the teen told KTLA’s Sandra Mitchell. “I saw a shadow of it and all I’m thinking is, ‘Please, don’t be a shark. Please, don’t take off my arm and please, don’t kill me.’”
It wasn’t a shark. Instead, it was an aggressive sea lion, some of which can be as long as six feet and weigh up to 700 pounds when fully matured.
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Phoebe Beltran, 15, was attacked an aggressive sea lion during a test swim for life guard cadets in Long Beach on March 30, 2025. (Bibi Beltran) -
Phoebe Beltran, 15, was attacked an aggressive sea lion during a test swim for life guard cadets in Long Beach on March 30, 2025. (Bibi Beltran) -
Phoebe Beltran, 15, was attacked an aggressive sea lion during a test swim for life guard cadets in Long Beach on March 30, 2025. (Bibi Beltran) -
Phoebe Beltran, 15, was attacked an aggressive sea lion during a test swim for life guard cadets in Long Beach on March 30, 2025. (Bibi Beltran) -
Phoebe Beltran, 15, was attacked an aggressive sea lion during a test swim for life guard cadets in Long Beach on March 30, 2025. (Bibi Beltran) -
A sea lion seen on a Southern California beach in this undated file photo. (KTLA) -
A raft of sea lions seen in the waters of Southern California in this undated file photo. (KTLA)
On the beach, Bibi Beltran, Phoebe’s mother, also noticed something was wrong and thought her daughter had come face to face with a shark.
“I saw something come up, like a fin, and somebody yelled, ‘Shark,’” she explained. “We all rushed to the water and when I realized it was my daughter, that’s when I broke down.”
The sea lion left the 15-year-old with several bites, as well as scratches on her arm and hand. Thankfully, aside from feeling swollen and bruised, she didn’t suffer any grave injuries.
Lifeguards swam out to the teen as fast as they could, grabbed her, got her back to shore and took her to the emergency room.
“It’s just a scary thought,” her mother told KTLA. “She could’ve been pulled under. I thought the worst.”
For now, Phoebe is out of the water and healing but looks forward to trying out for the lifeguard cadets once she’s fully recovered.
“I love the beach. I love the ocean. I love swimming,” she said.
Marine experts in Southern California say that recently sea lions are being poisoned by blooms of toxic algae that can make them more aggressive. Anyone who encounters a sea lion, either on the beach or the water, should slowly back away, do not act menacing and avoid eye contact.
Anyone who encounters a sick or stranded marine mammal can alert the nearest lifeguard and call 1-800-39-WHALE to make a report.