Federal wildlife authorities have initiated an investigation following the circulation of a video depicting a person kicking a protected sea lion on a California beach. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed the ongoing probe but offered no additional details on the matter.
The video footage appears to show an individual delivering kicks to a sea lion at La Jolla Cove in San Diego, accompanied by laughter from at least one other person present. The perpetrator repeatedly kicks the sea lion as it attempts to distance itself.
A NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement spokesperson stated, “We are investigating reports of a video on social media showing an alleged interaction between an individual and a sea lion, supposedly at La Jolla Cove. The individual seems to be kicking the sea lion. Due to the investigation’s active status, further details cannot be disclosed.”
Enforcement efforts are hindered by limited resources, with only four officers available across California. The agency collaborates with local park rangers and California Fish and Wildlife for a presence at the cove, as reported by CBS affiliate KFMB.
Ashley Hurwitz, a Seal Society volunteer, shared, “Rangers and volunteers like us are present, but we can’t enforce these laws continuously.”
The perpetrator in the video remains unidentified. Sea lions, protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, must not be harassed. Violations result in civil fines up to $36,000 and potential imprisonment for up to a year.
NOAA guidelines advise keeping a safe distance of at least 50 feet from sea lions, seals, and other protected species.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria condemned the act as unacceptable animal cruelty in a statement on X. He acknowledged the federal investigation and instructed local police to examine the video footage.
Recent statistics from the Sierra Club’s Seal Society suggest that La Jolla Cove has suffered around 10 sea lion pup deaths this year. Human interference, which can cause mothers to abandon their pups, is often blamed for these fatalities.
In a related incident, a tourist in May was arrested after being filmed throwing a large rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal on a Maui beach. His attorney argued he was trying to protect sea turtles.
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