Sea lions in Southern California waters had rarely posed a problem for beachgoers, surfers and swimmers, until now. Scientists say a naturally occurring bloom of toxic algae, a neurotoxin, is infecting local populations of sea lions and other marine mammals,

A 15-year-old Long Beach girl is recovering from a sea lion attack that happened while she was swimming over the weekend at Alamitos Beach.

15-year-old Phoebe Beltran has several cuts on her right arm and was hospitalized following the confrontation with the animal on Sunday. Although she has since been released from the hospital and was well enough to return to school, she said the attack has left her shaken up.