A pair of angry sea lions were seen chasing tourists out of a popular San Diego cove as the two marine mammals battled over territory.
The sea lions were captured on video running through a crowd of beachgoers at La Jolla Cove over the weekend, as the rising population of sea lions have taken over busy vacation spots in recent months.
Although the mammals appeared to be chasing people at the beach, experts claim they were actually after each other.
Eric Otjen, vice president of zoological operations at SeaWorld San Diego, told KGTV the male sea lions were feuding over territory.
‘The perception is that the sea lion is chasing after people, and that’s not it at all,’ Otjen said.
The two sea lions were captured on video running through beachgoers at La Jolla Cove over the weekend. Experts said they were chasing each other over territory, not going after humans
The bizarre moment shows a chaotic scene of people running away from the charging sea lions as they pranced around the sand, one after the other.
A smaller one trails just a little bit in front of a larger sea lion, weaving in and out of fearful crowds of people.
From late June until early August, the mammals are known to breed on the California coast. Just three to four weeks after giving birth, female sea lions are ready to mate again, according to NOAA Fisheries.
Otjen said because there are so many of them all at once, the animals create their own territories.
‘And they all have territories. And some of them don’t have territories. So, the smaller guy running through the crowd of people is the one just looking for a spot to breed.
‘And the bigger male that you see come in at the very end of that video is the one whose territory he was trying to take over,’ he said.
Robyn Davidoff from the Sierra Club Seal Society told the outlet the slew of sea lions create quite the spectacle at beaches over the summer.
From late June until early August, the mammals are known to breed on the California coast. (pictured: One of the sea lions rushing off to nearby rocks as people flee the area)
Robyn Davidoff from the Sierra Club Seal Society said the slew of sea lions create quite the spectacle at beaches over the summer
‘On Saturday, I was there. Four different tour buses stopped at different times and let off 50-plus people, who then came down, took their photos with the sea lions and, then, after 20 minutes, left,’ he said, adding that spectators need to ‘keep a distance.’
There are federal guidelines that advise people to remain 50 yards away from sea lions.
If someone harasses or touches a sea lion in the state of California, they risk being investigated by NOAA officials for violating regulations, according to NOAA Fisheries.
‘Let them do their thing. That way, the sea lions don’t feel like they’re trapped in by a bunch of people, and the people don’t have to worry about panicking them trying to get out of the way,’ Otjen explained.
Locals have taken matters into their own hands and held a public meeting at La Jolla Library on Monday to discuss the rising issue.
A non-profit, the La Jolla Parks and Beaches Association, discussed possible solutions on how to decrease frightening scenarios between humans and the mammals.
Members engaged in an impassioned debate about the sea lions, some vowing to protect them, while others complained about their take over.
‘I think we need to get some marine experts involved here to understand what is an appropriate eco-balance,’ a worried resident told Fox News.
Earlier this month, beachgoers at La Jolla Cove were left screaming and crying after a protective sea lion charged at them
Meanwhile, another person said: ‘We’re trying to remove nature and add humans- you think that’s gonna bring back the natural diversity of the area?’
Council members went on to send a letter to Council President Jo LaCava who oversees La Jolla expressing their support of continuing to allow humans to access the cove.
Earlier this month, beachgoers at La Jolla Cove were left screaming and crying after a protective sea lion charged at them.
Prior to its attack on beachgoers, the marine mammal was swimming around the area with its babies, as Lauren Bertrand captured the scary moment.
The sea lion nearly came face to face with one swimmer before it swam away, leaving the humans unhurt.
The marine mammal rushed into the water and spooked a child who fell over.
She and another young girl who was close to the sea lion ran away from the scene while a group of swimmers just watched the animal leave.
