A viral TikTok video showed San Diego lifeguards getting involved to protect sea lions at La Jolla Cove.
The video shows a little girl getting too close to La Jolla Cove's sea lions, prompting a San Diego lifeguard to tell the young girl to leave.
The video shared by TikTok user @RaspberryBlush_ has over 2 million views. A little girl in a purple sweater appeared to toss something at a sea lion when a lifeguard, over an intercom, said, “Little girl in purple, you can leave now. Thanks.”
“For me it’s nonsense. Where are the parents? The parents should be like, 'Hey, you don’t know the animal. You don’t know how they’re going to react,'” said Edgar German, an El Centro resident.
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As sea lion pupping season is approaching, lifeguards and rangers are on duty, keeping an eye on the crowds near the large mammals.
“We’re privileged to share this space with them. Give them the space they deserve,” lifeguards said over an intercom to people at La Jolla Cove Sunday.
There were also plenty of posted signs informing people of the rules.
Still, people try to push the limits, getting a bit closer than they should.
"It’s like Darwin is up above looking down and saying you’re next," Kerry McFaul said.
As a reminder, doing so could get you into some legal problems.
Sea Lions in San Diego
Harassing sea lions is a federal offense. Violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act could cost you an $11,000 fine, and even jail time.
This is not the first time people had a close call with sea lions.
You may remember a viral video from last year, showing two sea lions appearing to chase away beachgoers at La Jolla Cove. Wildlife experts told NBC 7 at the time this was sea lion mating behavior but it could still be dangerous to humans if they get too close.
Two years ago, the San Diego Council formally approved a seasonal closure of nearby Point La Jolla from May 1 through Oct. 31 for lion pupping season.
