This sea lion in La Jolla wasn't playing around: "This is my beach, I'll decide if you get to swim here." (abc7la/Instagram, Lauren Bertrand via Storyful)
Disclaimer: While this article is packed with SEA facts, we’d be LION if we didn’t admit there was some satire present.
It’s well-known that mama bears are not to be messed with when their cubs are nearby, but dumb human gawkers on a San Diego beach are learning that sea lion parents can also be very protective, especially when they and their pups are not given enough space.
Pupping season for sea lions lasts from May to October, which attracts lots of human visitors, some keeping a respectful distance and others too lustful for social media content to act with any decency.
"Put this on your Instagram, jerk." A dad tried to pose his son close to a sea lion, who said no thanks. (abc7la/Instagram, ISALISSAV via Storyful)
A particular San Diego beach, in La Jolla, attracts hordes of onlookers every year as the sea lion parents care for their young, which can be very small and just weeks old. The city has urged people to keep a safe distance, but animal experts say there is not enough enforcement of boundaries. And so, the sea lions have occasionally been forced to push back against the crowds, charging people who get too close and letting them know that it’s not okay to be all up in their business.
“Look, I get it, animals should be given space and respected. But what about my Instagram account? Doesn’t that deserve respect as well?”
– Horrible person at La Jolla Beach
“I still can’t believe that one of the sea lions rushed at me,” said a dumb person on the beach. “I was just minding my own business, standing a few feet away from a mother and her babies and pointing a camera in their faces, when out of nowhere the huge father ran at me and barked. There’s something wrong with those sea lions, they need to learn manners and to be less aggressive.”
“I wish the city was doing more to give security to the sea lions at this beach,” said a wildlife expert. “After all, it is their territory.” The expert recommended that if people do come, to stay far away and give the sea lions plenty of space; to not be too noisy, including not shouting at the sea lions; and to generally not be a dumb, terrible person, which apparently is too big of an ask for many people.
