SAN DIEGO – Local leaders and marine life advocates are expressing their outrage after the recent assault of a sea lion while calling on the public to respect federal laws.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that they would be launching an investigation into a video of a person who repeatedly kicked a sea lion at La Jolla Cove on Friday.
“Sea lions are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Actions or attempts to harass, harm, pursue, feed, capture, injure, restrain (no matter how temporarily), or kill may be punishable through fines or jail time,” according to a statement from NOAA.
Assault is ASSAULT, no matter the species ? This abuser laughed while harassing and kicking a sea lion who was desperately trying to escape. Thanks to everyone who reported it; the case is now under investigation. Leave animals ALONE, and always speak up when you witness abuse. pic.twitter.com/7wM0OyDxJB
— PETA (@peta) July 24, 2026The Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed in 1972 to protect the populations from human interference. Violations of this act can result in up to $36,498 in fines and up to one year in prison.
In a joint statement, Mayor Todd Gloria and Councilmember Joe LaCava called the incident “disturbing and unacceptable.”
“This act of animal cruelty has no place in San Diego, and those responsible should be held fully accountable,” the statement read.
Gloria and LaCava also urged visitors to respect the guidelines at La Jolla Cove.
“Visitors to La Jolla Cove and Point La Jolla should enjoy these remarkable animals from a safe distance, obey posted signs and instructions from city staff, never attempt to touch, feed, chase, or harass marine mammals, and remember that these animals are protected under federal law,” they said in the statement.
The Sierra Club Seal Society reported video of the incident to NOAA.
Robyn Davidoff, the Sierra Club Seal Society chair, said the footage shows a severe case of assault.
“We were just shocked and horrified by what we saw,” Davidoff said, calling the violence “an intentional and repeated attack for no reason.”
Davidoff said that she looks forward to NOAA’s investigation into the incident and is hopeful that they will identify the person in the video and prosecute them.
“They need to be made an example of, so that other people know that this kind of assault, or any kind of assault onto a sea lion or any wild animal, is not acceptable,” Davidoff said.
Davidoff said that city rangers ask people to remain 20 feet away from sea lions. Although federal law says that the required distance is 50 yards, or 150 feet, the beach is so small that that guideline would not allow access.
The Seal Society also has volunteers at La Jolla Cove to educate beachgoers about sea lions and the importance of keeping their distance.
Although Davidoff says these announcements work well, not everyone follows the rules.
“The things we kind of see on a regular basis is people taking selfies with the sea lions, which means they’re far too close. And also, sometimes, throwing sand or rocks at the animal in an attempt to get a reaction from them so they can get their photo,” Davidoff said.
Phillip Musegaas, the executive director of San Diego Coastkeeper, said that he is relieved to see that NOAA is investigating the incident, but argues that more needs to be done.
“We need to see stronger enforcement across the board from the city of San Diego and the federal government to provide a deterrent to educate the public, to create more of a presence of law enforcement or park rangers at the beach, to try and minimize these incidents [from] happening,” Musegaas said.
Musegaas said that San Diego Coastkeeper tries to educate the public about how to properly view sea lions and respect their boundaries.
“It’s not a petting zoo,” Musegaas said. “You need to be very respectful.”
Like Davidoff, Musegaas said that the individual shown kicking the sea lion in the video should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
“These are innocent animals, just trying to live their lives just like we are,” Musegaas said. “We have to find a way to coexist.”
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