Once you reel a fish onto a boat, usually the fight is over, but there’s a different story for a fisherman in Cabo. While holding up one of the day’s catches, a sea lion grabbed a fish straight from his hands.
Check out the hilarious video:
Pisces Sport Fishing, a fishing charter company in Mexico, shared the video. You can see someone holding up their catch, and within seconds, a sea lion hops up, grabs the fish, and jumps back in the water.
The company posted the video saying, “Mr. Steal Your Fish. You always have to watch your back when Pancho is around! Today, our anglers aboard Pisces 30’ Karina learned the hard way and lost one of their Dorados to our famous and sneaky Cabo sea lion, but lucky for them, they caught another 16 Dorados today, too (10 released).”
Wildlife officials warn against feeding a sea lion. While they may appear cute, they’re fairly heavy animals with sharp teeth.
Obviously, in this situation, there was little the person on the boat could do little, as the animal caught him by surprise.
Safety Around Sea Lions
If you’re ever around a sea lion, wildlife officials recommend 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 view the animal without getting closer. Note: Some pups may be too young for a well-developed wariness response, always leave pups extra space.
- When the seal or sea lion becomes fidgety, moving away from you or looking around for an escape route, this means they are stressed, disturbed, and agitated. This behavior means you are too close and you should back away with caution. Remember, these are wild animals that can react to your presence in a way that is dangerous to themselves, their young, or you.
- If the animal flees, it means you have missed the behavior indicators and it is too late. It is urgent that you move far away and leave plenty of distance between you and the area the animal fled so that it can feel safe for them to return. When seals flee, they can trample their pups or abandon them on the beach. They will not come back to care for their pups unless they feel it is completely safe to do so.