Deputies James Slikker and Tracy Sizemore were in their fireboat, headed back to Marine Operations Headquarters across Newport Harbor after checking out a report of juveniles smoking marijuana on a local dock. They had tied up the craft, checked out the dock and encountered a seal lion that had tried to attack a boy. They enticed the sealion aboard their craft and headed into the bay to deliver the sealion to a place where it would be safe and not a threat.
Out in the harbor the boat’s emergency lights flashed, deck lights went on and off and the emergency pump and other equipment began turning on and off at random. The boat lurched to one side and seemingly stering itself.
The two seasoned Deputies left the bridge to see what was going on. Click the video below and see what they found.
When they looked into the cabin where the foul weather steering station is located, they spotted the sea lion in the driver's seat randomly flipping switches. He tried to bite the Deputies when they attempted to shoo him away. They managed to bring the boat to Marine Operations Headquarters despite the unruly sea lion.
Once they arrived, they got off the boat and tried to get him to leave by giving him a few light squirts with the dock hose through the boat window.
The sea lion seemed to enjoy that. Finally, he waddled out of the cabin, crossed the deck to the stern and plopped into the water.
He then swam around the slips and jumped up onto the dock, where he sat and posed while the Deputies stood next to him and took pictures.
The deputies were aware of calls about sea lions and they had seen one on the dock when they checked out the marijuana report. They contacted Animal Control and Friends of Sea Lions, but they were unable to respond. All local sea lion assistance facilities were full due to an offshore algae bloom sickening the marine mammals.
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