Phoebe Beltran sustained several cuts on her right arm and had to be hospitalized after she was attacked by a sea lion in Long Beach.

"My initial reaction was, 'I'm getting eaten in the middle of the water, it's a shark, I'm going to die,'" Phoebe Beltran told ABC News. Phoebe Beltran immediately screamed for help, which is when the animal -- she later found out was a sea lion -- let go of her arm.

The toxicity of this particular bloom seems to be a lot higher, ” said a marine biologist. “Animals are in worse shape than they have been in the past.”

The Marine Mammal Care Center has been working to save sick sea lions in Southern California, including one on the shore of a beach. Despite the swift response time from authorities, the survival rate for the California sea lion is roughly 50%,

A California teen is recovering after she was attacked by a sea lion. The 15-year-old was training to become a junior lifeguard in Long Beach at the time. Phoebe Beltran said she received multiple injuries from the sea lion,

Two Airbnb guests were surprised to find a sick sea lion on their balcony. The animal was another victim of the toxic algal bloom that has left marine life sick all along the California Coast