California

‘Demonic’ sea lions that attacked people off California coast were sickened by toxic substance: scientists

Published

12 months ago

April 10, 2025

‘Demonic’ sea lions that attacked people off California coast were sickened by toxic substance: scientists

They were flippin’ poisoned!

The horde of “demonic” sea lions that attacked people off the California coast in recent weeks lashed out because they were sickened by mind-warping toxic algae, scientists have discovered.

The normally adorable ocean critters — who mauled a surfer and bit a swimmer — were reduced to a zombie-like state due to a neurological flare-up that caused confusion, seizures and panic, marine experts said.

“These animals are reacting to the fact that they are sick,” John Warner, CEO Marine Mammal Care Center in Los Angeles, told BBC News.

“They’re disoriented, and most likely, most of them are having seizures, and so their senses are not all fully functional as they normally would and they’re acting out of fear.”

The center tested hundreds of sea lions and found they suffered from the so-called “domoic acid toxicosis” from gobbling down fish exposed to the toxic bloom near the southern California shoreline.

At least 195 sea lions with the illness have been admitted to the center since late March, said Warner, who said they can recover with anti-seizure medications and sedation.

But the brain-bending condition often makes sea lions flip out with rage — like in the case of Rj LaMendola, who was dragged from his surfboard by a sea lion on March 21.

“It looked possessed,” LaMendola, 40, wrote later in Facebook post. “This creature looked like nothing I’d ever seen—its expression was feral, almost demonic, devoid of the curiosity or playfulness.”

He escaped from the blubber-bellied beast with a bloody gash on his left butt cheek and was rushed to a hospital.

“It felt like I was being hunted,” he said.“Today, I endured the most harrowing and traumatic experience of my 20 years of surfing.”

Nine days later, Phoebe Beltran, 15, was doing swim test in Long Beach to become a lifeguard when a sea lion repeatedly sunk its teeth into her right arm.

“I was just so scared, so shocked, but I still felt the immense pain on my arms, like, over and over again,” the teen told ABC 7.

She was hospitalized but didn’t require advanced treatment after the unprovoked attack.

Others have reported bizarre behavior and aggressive sea lions as experts said attacks by the animals are “on the rise.”

The toxic algae bloom sprouted earlier than normal this year and has spread for roughly 370 miles along Southern California coastline.

Exposed sea lions often become lethargic or in a comatose state then turn aggressive as they recover from the poisoning, Warner said.

“Their behavior changes from what we’re used to, to something more unpredictable,” Warner said.

“If they’re still aggressive or not foraging properly, it tells us their brains aren’t functioning the way they should,” he said.

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California

April kicks off in the Sierra with chain controls on I-80

Published

2 hours ago

April 1, 2026

Press Room

April kicks off in the Sierra with chain controls on I-80

Just days after Northern California saw a stretch of record high temperatures, the high Sierra Nevada is once again getting snow.

Chain controls went up on Interstate 80 in the Sierra early Wednesday morning.

As of 7 a.m., controls are in effect westbound from the Donner Lake Interchange to Rainbow. On the eastbound side, chain controls are in effect from Kingvale to Truckee.

Highway 50 is not seeing any restrictions at this time.

Other major Sierra roads seeing chain controls Wednesday include Highways 4, 49 and 88.

Wednesday also marks the day California’s Department of Water Resources will conduct its fourth snow survey of the season. As of Monday, the statewide snowpack is at about 18% of average.

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California

Meet the moderators; Fresno State to host bipartisan California governor candidate forum

Published

14 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Press Room

Meet the moderators; Fresno State to host bipartisan California governor candidate forum

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Preparations are underway for a major bipartisan gubernatorial candidate forum set for Wednesday at Fresno State, where several high-profile candidates for California governor will make their case to voters.

The event is expected to spotlight issues impacting not only the Central Valley but also communities across the state, with a strong focus on affordability, agriculture, and water policy.

Confirmed candidates scheduled to appear include:

Xavier Becerra, attorney and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
Chad Bianco, Riverside County sheriff
Steve Hilton, author and Fox News contributor
Matt Mahan, San Jose mayor
Katie Porter, former U.S. representative
Antonio Villaraigosa, former Los Angeles mayor

The forum will be moderated by Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes and former State Assemblymember Kristin Olsen, who say their goal is to ensure Central Valley concerns remain front and center.

“There are so many issues related to affordability right now, energy costs, housing costs, regulatory costs, even food prices,” Olsen said. “These are real challenges affecting families, farmers, and farm workers in the Central Valley. We want to make sure candidates clearly explain how they’ll address them if elected.”

Moderators say they are prepared to press candidates for direct answers.

“That will be our challenge,” Olsen said. “We’ll clearly lay out expectations for candid responses, and if someone doesn’t answer the question, we’ll follow up.”

Mendes emphasized the importance of water policy, a critical issue for the region’s agricultural economy, noting that many statewide candidates may lack a full understanding of how California’s water systems operate.

“A lot of candidates don’t fully understand water movement in this state, how storage works, or the difference between surface water and groundwater,” Mendes said.

He added that keeping candidates focused may be one of the biggest challenges during the forum.

“We might have to stop them and remind them to answer the question instead of running out the clock,” Mendes said.

Mendes, who is a registered republican, and Olsen, who has since switched from republican to no party preference, have both moderated in the past, though this marks their first time moderating a gubernatorial forum.

They stressed that their approach will be firm but nonpartisan.

“This isn’t about being partisan, it’s about answering the questions,” Mendes said.

Organizers say hosting the forum in Fresno is intentional, aiming to elevate issues specific to the San Joaquin Valley — a region they say is often overlooked in statewide political discussions.

The forum is scheduled to run from noon to 1:30 p.m. and is sponsored by 30 agricultural associations statewide. It will be streamed live on the FOX26 YouTube page.

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Diesel prices set new record in California; gas surpasses $6 mark in Los Angeles County

Published

1 day ago

March 31, 2026

Press Room

Diesel prices set new record in California; gas surpasses mark in Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The average price for a gallon of gas has surpassed the $6 mark in Los Angeles County, and diesel prices also set a new record for California.

On Tuesday, the average price for diesel reached $7.45 a gallon, according to AAA. That’s an all-time high for the state.

The statewide average price for regular gas stands at $5.88, but drivers in L.A. County are paying an average of $6. Of course, prices could be even higher than that at specific gas stations.

GasBuddy, a website that helps drivers find the cheapest gas prices, says the rise in the price for gas is making history. Experts say the spike in gas prices is the largest monthly increase on record.

Here are the average prices for regular gas in other Southern California counties:

Orange County: $5.93
Riverside County: $5.84
San Bernardino County: $5.86
Ventura County: $5.95

Meanwhile, the national average for regular gas has crossed the $4 mark.

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, President Trump is willing to end military action in the Middle East even if the Strait of Hormuz, which carries 20% of the world’s oil supply, remains closed.

GasBuddy predicts that would guarantee higher energy prices.

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