SAN DIEGO — Federal officials are investigating a reported incident in which a man appeared to kick and harass a protected sea lion on a city-operated beach.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement is investigating reports of a video that “shows an interaction between an individual and sea lion,” NOAA Fisheries spokesperson Rachel Hager said by email Saturday.
“In the video, the individual appears to be kicking the sea lion,” she said. “This is an ongoing investigation, and we cannot provide further details at this time.”
A video circulating on social media and reported on by NBC San Diego appeared to show a young man kicking a sea lion that was perched on the edge of the seawall. The person continues to follow the sea lion, kicking at it, as the animal attempts to get away. NBC News could not immediately verify the video Saturday. The social media accounts believed to belong to the person who posted it appear to have been deleted.
The person in the video has not been publicly identified.
Authorities said the reported incident happened Wednesday night near La Jolla Cove, where sea lions have been so plentiful on wet, sandstone plateaus that city officials have scrambled to provide them with sufficient real estate that’s off-limits to visitors.
The San Diego Police Department told NBC San Diego it fielded tips about video via social media and asked those concerned to reach out to NOAA. On Saturday, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said he’s asked police to review the purported video of the incident.
“This disgusting act of animal cruelty is unacceptable,” the mayor said on X. “We must protect our wildlife.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the San Diego Police Department did not immediately respond to NBC News’ requests for information.
The Sierra Club Seal Society said it also reported the incident to authorities and would monitor the investigation’s progress.
Robyn Davidoff, chair of the Seal Society, told NBC San Diego the person who allegedly kicked the sea lion should be prosecuted.
“That kind of behavior is not acceptable, whether it’s a person being punched or an animal,” she said. “Because these are a protected species, this is assault.”
Harassing sea lions is prohibited under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, which includes penalties of more than $30,000 per violation and possible prison time.
As the sea lion population piles up on the beach for the warmer months of pupping season, the city of San Diego has taken measures to keep humans away. City signage marks areas as closed to visitors, prohibits dogs and warns people, “CAUTION: DO NOT APPROACH SEALS/SEA LIONS.”
But the beach has also been a draw for humans, especially during the busy summer tourism season. Clashes with the mammals are not unheard of.
In February, a San Diego city park ranger guided a family of tourists away from the sea lions at La Jolla Cove after witnesses reported children in the group were throwing sand and rocks at the animals, according to NBC San Diego.
Elsewhere, a visitor to Maui was charged by federal prosecutors in May with harassing and attempting to harass a protected animal.
The lawyer for defendant Igor Lytvynchuk, of Covington, Washington, said his client was trying to protect sea turtles when he allegedly threw a coconut-sized rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal. He has pleaded not guilty and the case is awaiting trial, court records show.
