While out training for the upcoming Super League Triathlon Championship Series in Malibu, Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca was surprised by a seal that wasn’t too fond of the triathlete swimming in “his” waters. The animal was pushed into Vilaca by a wave and when it felt threatened it bit into Vilaca’s arm. Fortunately, Vilaca didn’t suffer any severe damage, partly thanks to his wetsuit. He’s still set to race SLT this weekend.
“I was just swimming in the ocean and was unlucky enough to swim towards where a seal was. It started swimming towards me and got very close, and it felt like a dog smelling me”, Vilaca explains. “I tried to just slowly – without doing anything aggressive – push it away, but at a certain point there was a strong wave that pushed it against me. Then I pushed it away because it was on me, and then it got scared and bit my arm; it wouldn’t let go.”
