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Summer has come to San Diego, and so have the seasonal beach crowds. From San Onofre down to Imperial Beach, the coastline of San Diego County is bustling with locals and out-of-towners hitting the beaches for sand, sun, surf, and... seals?
The popular La Jolla area of San Diego County is known not only for its scenic beaches, but also for the large populations of seals and sea lions that frequent the area. Ideally, beachgoers are supposed to give these marine mammals a wide berth, but that didn't stop one curious sea lion from giving La Jolla beachgoers a hilariously warm, up-close welcome on June 19!
Unlike us foolish humans, this sea lion wasn't burdened by trivial concerns like "wildlife safety" or "personal space"- he just wanted to hang out! While most people were charmed by his warm welcome, a couple beachgoers made a break for it- a smart move, as La Jolla sea lions have been known to get aggressive and territorial at times. But according to @thescallywagfam , who filmed the sea lion's arrival in Children Pool's Beach, he wasn't trying to be mean... he just wanted to give folks a "nice California welcome!" Unless playfully rolling around in the sand is some kind of territorial behavior among sea lions , I'm inclined to agree with her assessment!
Related: Massive Number of Sea Lions at San Francisco Pier Just Broke a Record
While a couple nervous beachgoers might have been miffed by the marine mammal's overeager welcome, the silly sea lion instantly won over viewers on social media.
"The way he is laying on his back in the sand is the way my golden retriever does in the grass," one user admired.
"He just wants to hang out and have fun too," @saturdaymorningcereal sympathized.
"I have heard seals referred to as "dogs of the sea," and I can see the resemblance lol," laughed @caksman1027.
The Sea Lions of La Jolla
La Jolla's resident seals and sea lions have long been one of the area's biggest claims to fame- along with its biggest source of controversy. While humans and sea lions can -and have- shared the local beaches peacefully (case in point, this video), that isn't always the case. Despite the Marine Mammal Protection Act making it illegal to feed, capture, or harass marine mammals like sea lions, that sadly hasn't stopped people from approaching them, touching them, or even trying to take selfies with them. Last year, the city of San Diego adopted a " seasonal to year-round closure " of Point La Jolla, a popular sea lion rookery, due to the increasing number of inappropriate human interactions, which both endangered the sea lions' health and increased the likelihood of aggressive behavior. Other local beaches, like the Children's Pool Beach , are closed seasonally to protect the wildlife during seal pupping season.
There are still plenty of great places to see the adorable seals and sea lion of La Jolla, and if you're interested, La Jolla Mom has a great guide to the best seal/sea lions sighting spots . Just remember that, no matter how cute they are, sea lions are still wild animals and should be treated as such. The NOAA advises maintaining at least a 50 yard distance from any sea lions - yes, sadly, even if one looks like it's just trying to extend a "nice California welcome." Let the sea puppies play in peace!
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