A 51-year-old man was attacked by a 6-foot-long sea lion Friday night while swimming at Mission Beach, according to Lifeguards.

A sea lion attacked a man while he was swimming at Mission Beach in San Diego on Friday night, officials said. The man, who officials say is in his 50s and regularly swims at Mission Beach, was about 50 yards offshore when he was aggressively bitten by a sea lion, according to Lt. Rick Strobel with San Diego lifeguards.

They're called killer whales for a reason. Well, technically, they're known as orcas. These large sea creatures (that can range between 20 to 30 feet long depending on gender) earned the nickname of “Killer” because ancient sailors used to witness them taking down comparatively smaller – yet still sizable – whales.

The man, who officials say is in his 50s and regularly swims at Mission Beach, was about 50 yards offshore when he was aggressively bitten by a sea lion, according to Lt. Rick Str

A 51-year-old man was attacked by a 6-foot-long sea lion Friday night in Mission Beach, officials with the San Diego Lifeguards said.