A viral TikTok video shows two large sea lions chasing beachgoers on a crowded California beach on Friday, raising concerns about humans encroaching on the animals’ turf.
TikTok user Charlianne Yeyna told NBC News that she shot the footage at La Jolla Cove, a small beach bordered by cliffs on both sides, in La Jolla, San Diego.
“The sea lions were sleeping and they were just massive on the beach and I was just watching them and this woman got really close to them, about 4 feet away, and she tried to get a close-up picture of him, and she just woke up and started chasing everybody” , Yena said.
California sea lions are generally timid around humans, but males will aggressively defend their territory during the breeding season, which falls in the summer. It is not known if the animals in the video are male, but John Hildebrand, a professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, thinks they may be.
“During the breeding season, male sea lions will attempt to establish territories and assemble a harem of females,” Hildebrand wrote in an email. “I’m not sure the animal on TikTok is male, but if so, it would make sense that he might be trying to keep people out of an area he’s protecting to keep his females safe.”
Hildebrand added that the sea lions in La Jolla Cove are wild animals, and when they approach people aggressively, it can be dangerous for both the sea lions and the people.
Hildebrand said he saw an entire bridal party (the bride, groom, best man and bridesmaids) trying to gather around a group of sea lions in La Jolla Cove as part of a photo shoot.
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