As Southern Californians prepare to flood local beaches in anticipation of the Fourth of July holiday and an oncoming heat wave, experts are warning beachgoers to be vigilant about a surprising hazard: biting sea lions.
As of Tuesday, sea lions had injured at least two people at beaches in Orange County. Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute, which serves Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, has recorded five recent incidents of animals biting beachgoers, including a surfer, paddle boarder, diver and two people on the beach, according to the facility's executive director, Sam Dover.
So what is behind this unusual behavior — and what should you do if you're bitten?
