(KTLA) – A 15-year-old in Long Beach, California, is recovering after a terrifying and unexpected ocean encounter with a sea lion that attacked her over the weekend.  

The incident happened Sunday in front of a lifeguard tower on what was supposed to be a big day for Phoebe Beltran and her family. She was at the beach to complete her swim test for the cadet lifeguard program in Long Beach.  

“Out of nowhere, I feel something biting my arm,” the teen told affiliate KTLA. “I saw a shadow of it, and all I’m thinking is, ‘Please, don’t be a shark. Please, don’t take off my arm and please, don’t kill me.’” 

It wasn’t a shark. Instead, it was an aggressive sea lion, some of which can be as long as 6 feet and weigh up to 700 pounds when fully matured.  

On the beach, Bibi Beltran, Phoebe’s mother, also noticed something was wrong and thought her daughter had come face to face with a shark.  

“I saw something come up, like a fin, and somebody yelled, ‘Shark,’” she explained. “We all rushed to the water, and when I realized it was my daughter, that’s when I broke down.”  

The sea lion left the 15-year-old with several bites as well as scratches on her arm and hand. Thankfully, aside from feeling swollen and bruised, she didn’t suffer any severe injuries.  

Lifeguards quickly swam out to the teen, grabbed her and got her back to shore. She was then taken to an emergency room.  

“It’s just a scary thought,” her mother told KTLA. “She could’ve been pulled under. I thought the worst.”  

For now, Phoebe is healing but looks forward to trying out for the lifeguard cadets once she’s fully recovered.  

“I love the beach. I love the ocean. I love swimming,” she said.

Marine experts in Southern California say that sea lions are being poisoned by blooms of toxic algae that can make them more aggressive. Anyone who encounters a sea lion, either on the beach or the water, should slowly back away, refrain from acting menacing, and avoid eye contact.