Surfer Attacked by “Demonic” Sick Sea Lion (Video)

In a Facebook post from Friday, RJ Lemondola explained the incident:

“Today, I endured the most harrowing and traumatic experience of my 20yrs of surfing—an encounter that left me shaken to my core.

“It started as an ordinary session, just me and my board, about 150 yards from the shore, riding the waves in solitude. The ocean was calm, the rhythm of the swells familiar—until, out of nowhere, a sea lion erupted from the water, hurtling toward me at full speed. Its mouth gaped wide, teeth flashing, and its eyes locked onto me with an unsettling ferocity. My heart lurched as I instinctively yanked my board to the side, paddling frantically to evade it as it barreled forward, intent on crashing into me.”

The sea lion charged him once; he dodged it. Then it came at him again, teeth snarling:

“At the last possible second, as its teeth loomed inches from my face, I swung my arm to fend it off—a clumsy attempt at a punch. It twisted its neck with eerie agility, dodging my strike, and then lunged. Its jaws clamped down hard on my left butt cheek, piercing through my 5/4mm wetsuit like it was nothing. The pain was sharp and immediate, but the terror was worse—it shook its head violently, tugging me off my board by my flesh, dragging me into the water.”

Luckily, it sounds like Lemondola will be alright. He was hospitalized since, “the bite was deep, the pain lingering, but it hit my buttock—not an artery, not my face, not something worse.” Yet, still lingering with him is the nature of the attack, the state of the sea lion. “This isn’t normal sea lion behavior,” he said. “It’s something darker, something dangerous.”

However, despite the fortunate outcome considering the circumstances, he added:

"I won’t be paddling out again anytime soon unfortunately."