The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said a Brazilian man, a French man and woman and a South African man sustained minor scrape bite wounds. File Picture: Ian Landsberg
The SPCA said it suspected neurological damage caused by acid toxicity may be the reason a seal attacked and bit divers along the Atlantic Seaboard near Oudekraal, wounding a Portuguese tourist and a South African.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said a Brazilian man, a French man and woman and a South African man, who sustained minor scrape bite wounds, were also assessed by paramedics and did not need hospitalisation.
A German man and a South African woman who were not bitten required no further assistance.
Those bitten were advised to visit a doctor for broad-spectrum antibiotics, rabies and tetanus treatment, as a precaution.
Cape of Good Hope SPCA spokesperson Belinda Abraham said: “The prevailing theory among marine scientists is that the heightened aggressive behaviour by these animals is a result of neurological damage caused by domoic acid toxicity, the by-product of harmful algal blooms. While we don’t know of any incidents involving these seals directly, it is our experience that those being bitten are usually not responsible for the harassment.”
The NSRI said the Portuguese woman was transported to hospital in a stable condition by a Netcare 911 ambulance.
“At around 10.08am, Saturday, March 2, the City of Cape Town water rescue network was alerted by ER24 ambulance services of a local dive charter boat headed towards OPBC (Oceana Power Boat Club) from Oudekraal, on the Atlantic Seaboard, with injured divers onboard and requesting medical care.
“Some divers onboard the boat had reportedly been bitten by a seal while they were in the water.
“On the casualty boat’s arrival at OPBC two patients were treated by paramedics for bite puncture wounds a Portuguese lady and a South African lady.
“It appears that the dive charter boat, with four crew and eight adult divers, had arrived at Oudekraal where the eight divers entered the water to prepare to scuba dive.
“On entering the water to prepare to begin scuba diving, according to reports, a seal started to swim among the eight divers and began biting the divers.
“The boat crew were able to recover all eight divers onto their boat and the alarm was raised. The causes of the seals’ behaviour are unknown.
“The skipper and crew of the dive charter boat are commended for swiftly recovering all divers from the water and alerting the emergency services,” the NSRI said.
yanga.yose@inl.co.za
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