Sea lion rushes towards beachgoers at La Jolla Cove

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Over the weekend, there was another close encounter of the watery kind as sea lions rushed towards beachgoers at La Jolla Cove.

“The perception is that that sea lion is chasing after people and that’s not it at all,” said Eric Otjen, the vice president of zoological operations SeaWorld San Diego.

Otjen told 10News that it’s breeding season for sea lions.

“They all have territories and some don't have territories. So, the smaller guy running through the crowd of people is the one just looking for a spot to breed," Otjen said. "The bigger male that you see come in at the very end of that video is the one who’s territory he was trying to take over."

Robyn Davidoff with the Sierra Club Seal Society said these incidents often occur when more people are at the beach.

“And it coincides with the top tourist season. But the sea lions attract a lot of tourists,” Davidoff said. “On Saturday I was there, four different tour buses stopped at different time and let off 50 plus people who then came down, took their photos with the sea lions and then after 20 minutes left. It’s about getting the word out you need to keep a distance,” Davidoff said.

Advocates have also been pushing for better protection of sea lion pups at the cove.

“We interact with the public. We educate them about what the sea lions are doing and why they’re doing it,” Davidoff said.

When it comes to this latest incident, Otjen reminded people federal guidelines require staying 50 yards away from the animals.

“That’s probably the biggest message we can get across right now is give them some space. Let them do their thing,” Otjen said. “That way the sea lions don’t feel like their trapped in by a bunch of people and the people don’t have to worry about panicking trying to get out of the way.”

The City of San Diego sent 10News the following statement after this incident:

“Sea lions are protected under federal law via the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The City does not have the authority to enforce the MMPA so we coordinate with NOAA and report observed violations to them for enforcement. In the absence of an enforcement presence from federal agencies, the City of San Diego has dedicated significant resources to managing and limiting interactions between the public and wildlife. NOAA guidelines indicate that seals and sea lions should be observed from a safe distance of at least 50 yards. The City is evaluating several measures to ensure visitors can safely enjoy the beach and the unique opportunity to observe marine mammals along our beautiful coastline."