Moment Sea Lion charges at beachgoers in San Diego

BEACHGOERS were seen fleeing as a sea lion charged toward them at La Jolla Cove in San Diego, California, on July 23. Video recorded by Japhet Perez Estrada shows the territorial sea lions lurching at a group of people gathered along the shore. A man on a loudspeaker is heard warning the beachgoers to “give that large male sea lion plenty of room” as “they have bit people and they’re protected animals.” Estrada, who told Storyful he was a “local open-water swimmer” from the area, said on Instagram that the sea lions didn’t charge at him as he “wasn’t bothering [them] like the tourists who were on the beach.” The Ocean Conservancy said that male California sea lions “use sound to defend their territory,” adding that the animals “will bark on land and underwater to fend off intruders.”
Sea lion encounter, San Diego beach, Wildlife encounter, Animal behavior, Beach safety, Close call, Wild animal encounter