Sea lions attack a puffer fish! 🐡⁠ ⁠ But why?⁠ ⁠ Scientists report mammals can get “high” from chewing pufferfish! When threatened, puffers release a chemical called tetrodotoxin which alters the sea lions’ behavior after they consume it. The tetrodotoxin is a serious chemical that can be more deadly than cyanide if humans ingest it!⁠ ⁠ At Los Islotes in La Paz, @matthewunderwater witnessed a behavior unlike anything I have ever seen. We watched for 30 minutes in horror as the sea lions hunted the black guineafowl pufferfish, pulled it up to the surface like a balloon, and let it escape back to the rocks at the bottom only to repeat the process of torturing the fish.⁠ ⁠ _____⁠ ⁠ 📹️ courtesy of: @matthewunderwater⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #sealions #pufferfish #underwater #marinelife #science #marinebiology #biology