Third Sea Lion Attack in a Week Prompts Swimming Ban at San Francisco Park

Swimming is temporarily banned at San Francisco’s Aquatic Park Cove after a string of sea lion attacks.

The latest attack happened Friday morning when a man was bitten on his upper thigh, the Los Angeles Times reported. The most recent incident led Aquatic Park Cove to ban swimming at least through Monday.

“I’ve only been part of the unit for two years now and I haven’t had a single sea lion or wildlife attack like this,” San Francisco Police Officer Matthew Reiter told the Los Angeles Times.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes that sea lions can be unpredict­able and become aggressive quickly, especially if they are cornered, harassed, sick or are protecting their young.

Another swimmer was attacked a day earlier on Thursday. He felt threatened when a sea lion came at him while he was swimming, the Los Angeles Times reported. He tried splashing water and yelling at the lion, which ended up biting the swimmer in the arm.

Days earlier, another sea lion attack occurred, though it was not serious enough to require medical attention, according to the Los Angeles Times.