Seal Attacks on Human Reportedly Due to Neurological Damage From Consuming Poisoned Fish

Seals do not normally attack humans. However, there is a rising incident of seal vs. human conflict in Cape Town, and it could be due to seals consuming poisoned fish, according to a report.

Seal Attacks Reported in Cape Town, South Africa

Several unprovoked seal attacks were reported in Cape Town, South Africa. One of the victims was American actress Loulou Taylor.

A woman reported one previous attack on a different beach on the Cape Peninsula, where she was reportedly chased and pounced on by a seal. A spearfisherman also said he was left with bite marks when a seal attempted to drag him into deep water, Daily Mail reported.

On the attack of Taylor, who is popular for starring in HBO's Raised By Wolves, the footage shows an enraged seal pup attacking a child and trying to bite him as a man shouts, "get out of the water." Onlookers screamed before two men came to the rescue causing the animal to flee.

However, a woman can be heard crying as the creature attacks her in the sea. She attempted to push it but failed, moving some beachgoers to help.

A man was seen in the footage grabbing the violent seal by its flippers and tossing it back into the water. The woman was carried to safety.

The outlet also shared photos and videos of seals attacking humans on the beach. One photo features a seal attacking a boy playing in the beach's shallows. Other shots show the man tossing the seal pup into the ocean.

Taylor was reportedly bitten six times by the furious baby seal. Despite the encounter, she found humor in the experience by sharing an edited movie poster of the Jaws movie on Instagram, replacing the great white shark with a photo of a seal.

In the caption, Taylor said she loves the ocean and its animals. She also thanked the artist who did the artwork and the man who rescued her.

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Why Seals Attack Humans in Cape Town

The seal attacks on humans reportedly happened after a mass die-off of the animals along the coast, which was due to domoic acid, The Times reported. The acid is a naturally occurring neurotoxin produced by marine algae that build up in small fish and squids, which predators eat.

According to scientists, the algae only blooms for a few weeks. However, due to warmer waters due to climate change and pollution, the toxic blooms, also known as red time, tend to grow bigger and last longer.

Brett Glasby, from the city's Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation, told the Daily Maverick that the seal attacks were defensive behavior.

The seals were reportedly not showing aggressive behavior but were in defensive mode. Last year, a mass diff-off on the coastline happened, and it was attributed to domoic acid poisoning from red tide algae blooms.

Seals consume fish and crustaceans that have algae bloom domoic poisoning. One of the symptoms of the poisoning is swelling of the brain.

Glasby added that animals surviving domoic acid poisoning suffer neurological damage, and they suspect that it is why there is an increasing number of seal attacks around the town.

In the wake of the attacks, Cape Town deputy mayor Eddie Andrews asked the residents and tourists to treat all marine and coastal life with respect and keep their pets away from areas where wildlife may be present.