A couple of sea lions made sure that their sandy shore was for locals only when they chased off a crowd of sunbathers last Friday.
In the midst of a sunny San Diego summer, beachgoers and native La Jolla Cove residents have to share the coveted spot by the water. Most of the time, these blubbery water mammals tolerate the presence of humans on their sacred grounds, but their generosity has its limits. This seems to be the case when two sea lions waddled their way over to the area’s two-legged guests, warding them away from their home.
Though adorable and sometimes downright goofy, sea lions can be quite territorial and will approach humans if the animals believe people are posing a threat. They don’t often do more than just chase people around, but still, with how tactfully they hunt sea creatures, you definitely don’t want to push your luck.
Luckily, these beachgoers seemed to get the message when the two sea lions took back their territory. As a result, dozens of people hurried to the other side of the sand to avoid the admittedly hilarious warning.
Meanwhile, someone watching from above managed to catch the encounter on film.
“These sea lions made my day yesterday,” the TikToker posted along with the clip, pairing the moment to a classic Beach Boys tune.
@favortown These sea lions made my day yesterday #california ♬ Apple bitten jeans beach boys 1964 – done4dayz
TikTokers Respond to Beachgoers’ Run-in with La Jolla Cove Sea Lions
Normally, with animal videos, we tend to see a wide range of responses from watchers, some siding with humans and others with the animals. This time, though, it seemed everyone understood that the sea lions had the right idea.
In the comments of the video, California natives lamented over the number of people that flock to La Jolla Cove and how this greatly interfered with the sea lion population.
“we have SO MANY BEACHES in san diego it’s always the tourists messing up la jolla,” one regular beachgoer wrote.
Another supported the sea lions’ actions, noting, “Thats their home and locals have been trying to fence off the childrens pool for a while. They arent yours to distrurb [sic].”
“tourists can get way too comfy around the wildlife at the cove so this video makes me happy,” a third concluded.
According to several other San Diego locals, La Jolla Cove isn’t supposed to be a regular spot for fellow beachgoers. As a protected part of a marine preserve, the sandy area’s primary use is for the animal life there. The waters are open to scuba divers, swimmers and snorkelers, but no one is really allowed to lay out their towels and stake their umbrellas.
Because of this, in the eyes of both flippered and footed locals, the sea lions were well within their rights to ward off the trespassers.
