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Great White Sharks Feeding on Sea Lions at Santa Barbara Island
via Google Maps
Despite its name, Santa Barbara Island is located off the coast of Los Angeles. At one square mile, it's the smallest of the eight Channel Islands and is one of five included in the National Park. Today, rangers are warning island visitors to swim at their own risk. "Great white sharks have been observed in this area attacking California sea lions," said a notice released today. "There have been no shark attacks on humans. There have been three attacks on California sea lions by great white sharks in the past few months including one at the Santa Barbara Island Landing Cove and two offshore of Cat Canyon on the southeast side of the island. The public is duly warned to enter the water at their own risk at Santa Barbara Island due to a potential safety hazard effective June 30, 2010 and until further notice."
While anyone can go to the island on their own, there are only eight official trips scheduled to the island this year.
Previously: Sea Lions eaten by Killer Whales off Orange County's coast
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