Once you reel a fish into a boat, it’s usually game over, but it’s a different story for a fisherman in Cabo. While holding one of the catches of the day, a sea lion grabbed the fish from his hands.
Watch the fun video:
Pisces Sport Fishing, a fishing charter company in Mexico, shared the video. You might see someone holding their catch, and within seconds, a sea lion leaps up, grabs the fish, and jumps back into the water.
The company posted a video saying, “Mr. Steal Your Fish. You always have to watch your back when Pancho is around! Today, our fishermen aboard the Pisces 30′ Karina learned the hard way way and lost one of their Dorados to our famous and stealthy Cabo sea lion, but lucky for them, they caught another 16 Dorados today, too (10 released).”
Wildlife officials warn against feeding sea lions. Although they look beautiful, they are quite heavy animals with sharp teeth.
Obviously, in this situation, the man in the boat could do little, because he was surprised by the animal.
Safety Around Sea Lions
If you are around a sea lion, wildlife officials recommend that you follow these steps:
- When a seal or sea lion is staring at you, this is your cue to stop moving. This means they are alert and aware of your presence. You should stop where you are and look at the animal without getting too close. Note: Some puppies may be too young for a well-developed alertness response, always give puppies extra space.
- When a seal or sea lion becomes mischievous, moves away from you or looks around for an escape route, it means they are stressed, upset, and agitated. This behavior means you are too close and you should back off with caution. Remember, these are wild animals that may react to your presence in a way that is dangerous to themselves, their young, or you.
- If the animal runs away, it means you missed the behavioral indicators and it’s too late. It is important that you move away and leave plenty of distance between you and the area the animal fled from to make it safe for them to return. When seals escape, they may trample their pups or abandon them on the beach. They will not return to nurse their pups unless they feel it is absolutely safe to do so.
