On July 8, 2022, two sea lions were filmed as they appeared to be chasing boaters on the beach at Jolla Cove in the United States. The video, which has gone viral on social media, has been viewed more than 11 million times.
Their followingnoon at the beach didn’t go as planned. On Friday, July 8, 2022, boaters on Jolla Cove Beach, San Diego, California, (USA), were chased by two sea lions who then jumped into the water. The video, which quickly went viral and seen more than 11 million times on social media, according to the American television channel NBC.
“It was funny to watch”
The video, shared on the TikTok social network by a user, shows two sea lions charging at visibly frightened boaters on the beach at Jolla Cove. The latter flee as the imposing mammals approach them. A few seconds later, a first sea lion leads the way by throwing itself into the ocean, almost immediately followed by the second. “These sea lions made my day yesterday”comments the American Charlianne Yeyna, the author of the post, under her publication.
@favortown These sea lions made my day yesterday #california ♬ Apple bitten jeans beach boys 1964 – done4dayz
“The sea lions were sleeping, and this woman came very close to them, regarding a meter away. She was trying to take a picture of the lions up close, who woke up and started chasing everyoneshe later told NBC San Diego. I started recording because it was really funny to watch, for me, to see all these tourists being chased by these giant sea lions”,
What really happened?
Contacted by local media, a spokesperson for SeaWorld San Diego, an American amusement park welcoming marine animalsasserts that this “chasing” is a typical behavior of the sea lion.
“You only really notice it if you watch the behavior of the sea lions a lot, but the fact that one jumps into the water and the other does so soon following shows that they are following each other”, he explains. A behavior to be compared with the summer season. This time of year is mating season for this species. Male sea lions engage in fierce fights to seduce females.
Thus the presence of the two wild mammals should encourage the greatest caution for tourists. “people have to be careful and keep their distance”, underlines the spokesperson, recalling that they should not be approached or interrupted in their behavior. Or the reverse of what happened on the Californian beach.
Jolla Cove, an ecological reserve
Viewed more than 11 million times on TikTok, the video did not fail to make Internet users react. “Tourists should leave them alone”, comments a user of the platform under the video. In fact, Jolla Cove, located in northern San Diego in the United States, is famous for its marine life. As the area is an ecological reserve, it is requested not to disturb the sea lions and seals that live there, nor to walk and swim near them.
Moreover, given the failure of the municipality’s efforts to raise public awareness of respect for marine wildlife “The San Diego City Council has officially approved the seasonal closure of nearby Point La Jolla from 1is May to October 31, for the sea lion whelping season”, explains NBC San Diego. The closure affects Point la Jolla, a rocky stretch of San Diego coastline between La Jolla Cove and Boomer Beach. Interactions between humans and marine animals are therefore strongly regulated in this territory.
