Comment With flippers and bellies bouncing, two sea lions tumbled along the sands of California’s La Jolla Bay on Friday, sending visitors fleeing in a scene one observer likened to being chased by “Godzilla” — much to the delight of users of social media that praised the animals for reclaiming their natural habitat. While some people ran uphill to safety and those in the water swam in the opposite direction, a woman watched from afar, captured the incident on video and posted it on TikTok. “These sea lions made my day yesterday,” she wrote shortly before the video went viral, generating nearly 11 million views on the platform. A pair of sea lions chased a large group of people at an eco-sanctuary in San Diego on July 8. (Video: Charlianne Yeyna / Amazing Animals+ / TMX) “I started recording because it was really funny to see, to see all these tourists being dragged away by these giant sea lions,” the woman, later identified as Charlianne Yeyna, told NBC San Diego. Yeyna said she was watching the “huge” sea lions sleeping on the beach when a woman approached to take a photo and “got really close” before they “just woke up and started chasing everybody”. Yeyna estimated that the woman came within 4 meters of the animal. Sea lions are frequently spotted in La Jolla Cove and visitors are asked to keep a safe distance. Do Not Approach signs are placed along the beach during the calving season in an effort to protect mothers and their young. Eric Otjen, a sea lion expert at SeaWorld San Diego, told The Associated Press that despite social media comments about the creatures preying on beachgoers, Friday’s incident was actually expected and often seen during the summer months, when breeding season is in full swing. “This behavior is not unusual at all. The reason why the video has about 10 million views is because everyone is running like Godzilla is chasing them,” he said. Otjen said it was unlikely the animals were targeting members of the public and were instead hard at work preparing to breed. “He has swimmers around him on the way back, but they don’t bother him,” he said. “That’s his right to mate.” ‘Cheeky’ sea lions return to New Zealand shores — and locals learn to share the shore On social media, many who saw the video proudly declared it a “group sea lion”, praising the animals for chasing away sun seekers. “I’m personally rooting for the sea lions,” he tweeted. “Someone call David Attenborough immediately, we need this clip narrated,” read another. (Sir David Attenborough is a well-known English broadcaster and naturalist.) Some questioned why city officials had not permanently closed the sand strip, which had long been popular with the animals. Male sea lions can reach eight feet in length and weigh up to 600 pounds, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Female sea lions can reach six feet in length and weigh about 400 pounds. They are usually found clustered on rocky shores, jetties and islands. Sea lions are considered highly territorial. “Breeding males and females with newborn pups may threaten and chase intruders,” according to information shared by SeaWorld. Unlike their more docile ‘second cousins’, the seals, who are known for their quiet grunts, sea lions display a noisier streak – barking non-stop – especially during mating season, which runs from May to October . During the mating season, male behavior is “more aggressive,” according to experts, who push, shove and chase to assert dominance over each other. Earlier this year, the city council said it had noticed a pattern of harassment at the tourist destination, adding that trying to take selfies with wildlife at Point La Jolla was “dangerous”. No injuries were reported in Friday’s sea lion incident.
