An 18-year-old La Jolla man pleaded guilty to repeatedly kicking a sea lion that was perched on a seawall at La Jolla Cove in July. The attack was caught on video and went viral, prompting an investigation by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Nearly two months after the brazen assault, 18-year-old Tyler Muehl pleaded guilty, admitting he was the man in the video. “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement takes all violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act very seriously,” said NOAA-Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement West Coast Division Assistant Director Eric Morgan. “Intentionally striking or kicking a marine mammal is not only illegal—it is dangerous for the well-being of the animal.”
Federal prosecutors say Muehl admitted to kicking the sea lion as it sat on the wall at night on July 22, 2026, near Ellen Browning Scripps Park. Muehl said, according to the plea agreement, that he first went to the sea lion acting as if the two were in a fight. As he approached the sea lion, Muehle kicked the sea lion twice in the head. As the sea lion tried to retreat, Muehle kicked the sea lion a third time, and thrust a fourth kick as the sea lion retreated over the wall. Federal prosecutors say Muehl pleaded guilty to “knowingly and unlawfully tak[ing] a marine mammal in waters or on lands under the jurisdiction of the United States in that he did harass and hunt” the sea lion. After video of the attack went viral, local leaders immediately responded.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,” Mayor Todd Gloria and Council President Joe LaCava said in a statement about the attack.
“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.
Muehl is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on October 20, 2026. The maximum penalty for violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act is one year and a fine of up to $100,000.
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