Sea lions pelted with rocks as family ignores repeated warnings at La Jolla Cove
The only thing saving this family from a very large ticket is that the city ranger who kicked them out of the park doesn’t have the authority to issue Federal fines.
A photographer documented children repeatedly harassing sea lions in La Jolla, and a city ranger politely asked them to stop. When they did not, they were tossed from the park.
“You can’t just come here and do whatever you want. It’s not the wild wild west, where you- this isn’t your personal petting zoo. It’s not SeaWorld. These are wild animals, and so they have a duty to the public as well, to try to keep them safe,” said Grant.
Removals from the beach remain uncommon, yet visitors getting too close to sea lions presents a recurring problem at the popular cove. Federal law prohibits touching, feeding or harassing sea lions. Animal advocacy groups report that sea lion pups die annually as a result of human interaction.
Rangers enforce a 20-foot distance requirement from marine mammals, a rule posted on signs throughout the beach. Despite these protections, violations persist.
The sea lions are federally protected. The signs are everywhere. The only thing missing on Sunday was a citation.
Nature can be so inconvenient.