A pair of rowdy sea lions were caught on video chasing beachgoers at La Jolla Cove and causing panic on a crowded beach.
A viral video shows the moment two sea lions charged through a crowd at La Jolla Cove over the weekend, sending people into a frenzy. But experts tell KGTV the sea mammals were not actually going after the beachgoers.
“The perception is that the sea lion is chasing after people, and that’s not it at all,” Eric Otjen, vice president of zoological operations at SeaWorld San Diego, told KGTV.
Southern California’s beaches and coves may see an increase in sea lions from May through July as the animals enter breeding season, according to the Dolphin Research Center.
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“And they all have territories. And some of them don’t have territories. So, the smaller guy running through the crowd of people is the one just looking for a spot to breed,” Otjen said. “And the bigger male that you see come in at the very end of that video is the one whose territory he was trying to take over.”
Robyn Davidoff of the Sierra Club Seal Society told KGTV the sea lions’ breeding season happens to coincide with the area’s busiest tourist season, when the sea lions are often the main attraction at the beach.
“On Saturday, I was there. Four different tour buses stopped at different times and let off 50-plus people, who then came down, took their photos with the sea lions and, then, after 20 minutes, left,” Davidoff said. “It’s about getting the word out. You need to keep a distance.”
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Otjen reminds people there are federal protections for sea lions with guidelines requiring people to stay 50 yards away from the animals.
“That’s probably the biggest message we can get across right now is give them some space. Let them do their thing. That way, the sea lions don’t feel like they’re trapped in by a bunch of people, and the people don’t have to worry about panicking them trying to get out of the way,” Otjen said.
In a statement issued to KGTV, the city of San Diego said sea lions are protected under federal law via the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The La Jolla Parks and Beaches Association, a nonprofit that advises the city of San Diego on park issues, held a public meeting at the La Jolla library Monday to discuss what could be done about incidents between beachgoers and the sea lions.
The organization argues something needs to be done to prevent sea lions from taking over the historical beach, which has been used for diving, surfing, swimming and lounging for over a century, according to KSWB.
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However, many students and activists showed up to the meeting demanding people leave the marine mammals alone and leave the cove, KSWB reported.
The board members then voted to send a letter to the San Diego City Council in support of continuing to let people have access to the cove after a lengthy discussion. In the letter, KSWB reported the Parks and Beach Association asked for solutions to keep the sea lions out of the area to prevent more unwanted interactions.
This latest incident comes nearly a year after another pair of sea lions were caught charging at a crowd.
San Diego posted multiple signs in the area last year to warn visitors not to approach sea lions at the cove.
Signs said “Stay back: Sea lion birthing area” and “Do not approach mothers or pups.”
Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
