A fisherman’s big moment did not last long.
According to OutKick, a viral video shows an angler celebrating what appears to be his first yellowfin tuna when a sea lion suddenly surfaces near the boat and heads straight for the fish.
The fisherman tries to hold on as the animal closes in. He is quickly overmatched, and the clip shows him eventually letting the tuna go.
The sea lion grabs the yellowfin and disappears with the catch, leaving the angler stumbling backward after losing the fish he had just landed.
A common problem for anglers
While the video plays like a quick comedy clip for viewers, the behavior behind it is familiar to many fishermen.
OutKick noted that wildlife experts call this kind of theft “depredation,” a term used when marine mammals take fish from anglers, lines, nets or boats.
Sea lions are especially known for the behavior because they are intelligent and can learn to connect fishing activity with an easy meal, according to the report.
In some fishing areas, that pattern can become predictable, with sea lions showing up when anglers are working fish nearby.
The catch still counts—sort of
The fisherman may still be able to say he caught the yellowfin tuna. The sea lion, however, appears to have claimed the dinner.
