Woman recounts attack by sea lion off California coast. 'Like a horror movie'

Don Sweeney, The Sacramento Bee on Sep 27, 2026

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A paddleboarding excursion in the Pacific Ocean off California turned terrifying for one woman when a sea lion yanked her into the water, according to news reports.

“I was like, ‘what, what’s happening,’ it was like a horror movie,” Heather Gray told KNTV.

Gray, of Capitola, was paddleboarding between Capitola Wharf and Privates Beach near Pleasure Point when the marine mammal attacked at about 8 a.m. Tuesday, the San Jose-based station reported.

The sea lion bit her arm, hand and feet, Gray told Oakland’s KTVU.

“The thing that was the most bizarre was that it grabbed my hair,” Gray told KNTV.

After she got back on her board, she paddled for shore but the sea lion followed her, the San Francisco Chronicle said.

A friend drove her to an urgent care facility for treatment, KTVU reported. A second reported attack Tuesday involved a surfer near Santa Cruz.

Sea lions and fur seals in Monterey Bay have been hit hard by domoic acid poisoning in 2026, the Marine Mammal Center said.

“Domoic acid poisoning is caused by harmful algal blooms,” the center said. “The neurotoxin accumulates in small fish that are eaten by marine mammals including sea lions.”

Wildlife with domoic acid poisoning can act unpredictably, the center said. It encouraged people to say at least 150 feet away from animals that may be ill.

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