US: Beach Goers In San Diego Flee From Sparring Sea Lions In Viral Video

Sea Lion expert, Eric Otjen, of Sea World San Diego said that what was seen was a very normal behaviour of Sea Lions for this time of the year as it is the breeding season for the mammals.

Representational image of sea lions on a beach.

A TikTok video showing beach goers running and making way for two sea lions in San Diego in US has garnered about 10 million views. The viral video has started conversations about whether the lions were going after the people trying to reclaim the picturesque La Jolla Cove's narrow strip of land.

Sea Lion expert Eric Otjen from Sea World San Diego said what was seen was a very normal behaviour of sea lions for this time of the year as it is the breeding season for the mammals, news agency AP reported.

The sight of a male sea lion fleeing amidst people at the beach was because he was escaping from other males who were close to the water's edge. It's in their nature to fight over which females they are more likely to get for breeding which made the two sea lions run. They had a lot of opportunity to attack the people at the beach, but instead they chose to run past them, said Otjen.

A group of people were chased by two Sea Lions at a beach in the La Jolla area of San Diego. Lifeguards were on standby in the water ensuring no one was hurt and the sea lions could easily make their way. It's recommended people stay at least 50 ft away from sea lions. 📹: Charli pic.twitter.com/KUhLVns8H7

— Malik Earnest (@MalikEarnest) July 10, 2022

“He’s got swimmers all around him on his way back out, but they don’t bother him. What this is all about is his right to mate,” said Otjen to AP.

Seeing the way the video has become viral, Otjen added,  “This behavior is not uncommon at all. The reason why the video has gotten like 10 millions views is because everybody is running like Godzilla is chasing them.”

Reacting to the way people at the beach were running away, Otjen said to AP, “It may look funny that everybody is running, but it’s not a bad choice. You don’t want to be caught in the cross fire.” 

“Even if they don’t bite, it’s not a great feeling to have 200 to 300 pounds roll over you,” Otjen was quoted as saying by AP.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s guidelines, people should stay at least 50 ft (15 meters) away from sea lions, seals and other species protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.