see you later!
Dozens of beachgoers in San Diego were forced to flee for their lives after a defensive sea lion lunged at unwelcome human visitors who appeared to be approaching the baby sea lion.
The sea lion was captured on video swimming around La Jolla Bay with her babies on June 23 when she then began barking at swimmers.
“Oh, they’re getting pretty close, get out of the water, Deb,” someone says, and the sea lion jumps out of the water.
Several people sitting on the beach jumped from their spots as the sea lion lunged at them.
In a video taken by tourist Lauren Bertrand, some are seen lazily making off with belongings, while others pull out their phones to record close encounters with the protective mother.
“I visited La Jolla, California this weekend to observe sea lions in their (natural) habitat and learn about these ‘protected’ ecosystems,” Bertrand said in a TikTok post. “These large creatures were not taking kindly to the swarming of people.”
The video shows adult and juvenile sea lions sprinting towards the swimmers, forcing them to either run away or dive backwards into the water.
The sea lion stopped the attack before anyone was hurt.
La Jolla Cove is about 200 yards from Point La Jolla, a rocky outcrop on the San Diego coast that is a popular hangout spot for sea lions.
Point La Jolla was closed to the public indefinitely last September following complaints from residents and sea lion conservationists.
The City Council’s unanimous decision came months after a similar incident in which two large sea lions attacked beachgoers in La Jolla Bay.
“Please give that big male sea lion plenty of space,” a lifeguard can be heard saying over a loudspeaker. “He’s bitten people before. He’s a protected animal.”
San Diego has issued ample warnings to warn the public of the potential dangers of approaching wildlife that inhabits the area.
“Public members of the public have been seen petting the sea lions, taking selfies and trying to get as close as possible to the animals, which creates a dangerous situation for both the public and the animals,” a city spokesman said. The website states:
California sea lions’ birthing season runs from early May to late October, making it dangerous for humans to approach them during the summer.
These months are a “critical time for mother sea lions and their calves to bond, raise their young and learn to swim.”
“Humans interacting with adult sea lions or their calves during this time may result in injury or abandonment of sea lion calves or aggressive behavior by adult sea lions,” the website warns. “Not only is such interaction dangerous to both humans and wildlife, it may also violate the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, which protects these animals.”
In addition to the digital warnings, signs are posted throughout the beach indicating designated swimming areas, no-go zones and reminders not to bring dogs into certain areas.
