Outrigger race turns wild as sea lion hops aboard crew’s canoe
By Ricardo Tovar
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MONTEREY, California (KSBW) — A Memorial Day weekend outrigger canoe race in Monterey came with an unexpected passenger when a sea lion hopped onto a Santa Cruz team’s canoe in the middle of the competition.
Outrigger Santa Cruz said the incident happened during a race at Del Monte Beach, where crews were surrounded by marine life throughout the event.
“We were at an outrigger canoe race at Del Monte Beach in Monterey. It was super active with wildlife. There were a ton of dolphins surrounding us most of the race, and multiple clusters of sea lions too,” the team said.
According to the team, the sea lion may have been startled before jumping onto the racing canoe.
“I guess we got in this guy’s way and he may have gotten a bit spooked,” they said.
The surprise encounter sparked plenty of screaming from paddlers, but the team said its coaches, who were also in the canoe, quickly told everyone to keep paddling because they were locked in a close race with rival teams.
“Most of us in the canoe screamed our heads off, but we happened to have both of our coaches in our crew. So they immediately were yelling at us to keep paddling,” the team said.
Despite the chaotic moment, Outrigger Santa Cruz said the crew finished in third place and was happy with the result.
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