Pinniped freak out.

[JackG]

I got really freaked out by the seals at Rincon this weekend. One was just hanging out waaaay to close to me. They are really big dogs. He kept popping up on one side, then the other, then in back of me outside my peripheral vision. Anyone else ever feel that the wild life was messing with you? I sure felt this one guy knew he was making me nervous.

Later in the morning one of my buddies swore that one either got caught on his leash or bit it when he was taking off. A little later I was kicking to go a little further out and felt my fins hit one. I figured it would have moved, so I kicked again and it was still there RIGHT UNDER MY FEET! I paddled away as quick as I could. I just got totally bugged out. There have been two pinniped attacks around lately. Northern Fur Seals have been suspected, so I just kept telling myself that this was a harbor seal and I had nothing to worry about. Right. He has four fins and big teeth, I have two fins and can walk upright. Who's gonna win in the water?

I'd never surfed at Rincon before, and I was surprised at the number of seals (looked like harbor seals -- gray and spotted, short snout, no ears -- rather than sea lions -- solid brown to black, pointed snout, ears -- see http://www.sfgate.com/getoutside/pinnipeds.html) and dolphins as compared to my local break maybe 20 miles up the coast. There were little fish jumping everywhere, so go figure the mammals were around for sushi breakfast.

[K-man]

Pinniped numbers are up to at least,historical levels

Generally they won't bother surfers,but there are reports[not many]of aggresive  behavior at certain times of the year
Common behavior is grabbing shock cords ,nibbling booties,circling to check you out.,and are real good at swimming behind you...your blind spot..still scares the hell out of me  since surfers don't attack seals,they're a bit more trusting,and naturally curious.Wouldn't try petting one...though.

[surfhorn]

Had a harbor seal bite through the blade of a Duck Foot back in the early 1970's while surfing at Lil' Windandsea in Santa Cruz.

And seal lions have breached and landed on surfer's backs also.

But then I've had some great times. One summer, I was surfing a little sand bar south of Manresa and a juvenal harbor seal started body surfing next to me. I was on a 5'0" twin so I just started belly boarding it with the seal. Spent over an hour riding waves with the young seal.

[ScottMac]

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[K-man]

All this reminds me of a pinniped happening about 64-66? at the lane.A bull lioon had been hassling the surfers,and one crazy made the mistake of charging him and barking loudly!!!!It came up under him grabbed his arm and ragdolled him.Got mauled pretty good.Black might have been there as well as one of the reynold's
Had left earlier,and got the info third hand...Stories have a tendency to....well,become a bit enhanced?

[ScottMac]

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[red]

Be careful of the ones with rabies

[KAVA]

SOME CHICK AT THE JETTY'S IN NEWPORT BEACH GOT JACKED UP A COUPLE MONTHS AGO BY ONE, SOMETHING LIKE 120 STITCHES

[Beeline2.0]

l..

[ScottMac]

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[ScottMac]

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[doc]

Firsthand experience:

i dunno of first 'hand' quite describes it

There was a guy a few years back who was salmon fishing off of Monterey
on his boat. He had hooked a large fish and was reeling it in. He had the
fish alongside and was pulling it on board when a bull sealion surged up
and levered itself right up on the transom of his boat.

The guy spun around and grabbed for his gaff to fend it off, but it bit
him right on the butt cheek and tore a chunk of his flesh out, foulies and
all. He ended up with close to a hundred stitches himself. A very
costly fish.

and i'll bet he moved the gaff closer to the stern.

now, while a seal may mistake you for competition for food or females, he won't mistake you for din-din. on the other.... hand.... there are those critters that think of a full-grown seal as a nice, tasty lunch. and probably wouldn't argue the toss over a kneelo that looks a helluva lot like a seal from below. which might be the best reason for letting our pinniped pals have it some days, no?

[K-man]

RED SAYS, ''Be careful of the ones with rabies''!!..I thought those were were ozzies???



That whole scene with lions following stick boats is a real hassle for those guys.Partial thanks to the marine mammal center. They take the sick ones,Fix them up,hand feed them,till they're nice and plump,then Release them.Whats the first thing they do??LOOk for humans[free meal]It's a learned behavior.No one minds sharing a few fish,except when the same lion or two has been snaking your boat for two hrs.
Much easier catching hooked salmon.....A slight rant

[ScottMac]

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[JackG]

Today I got a treat along with two other guys -- we were totally surounded by dolphins. The pod cruised quietly through the break three times. They seem to pretty much ignore us, just ducking under when their path might go through a surfer. Kind of magical to watch them. A couple of times they were about six feet away horzonatally, and I think just a few feet below. Magic.

Even though they are bigger than the harbor seals and sea lions, they didn't freak me out at all. I guess that's because the didn't stick their heads up out of the water and STARE AT ME LIKE I WAS UNWELCOME AT THEIR BREAK. Like I said, they seem to ignore us bipeds.