United States wildlife authorities are investigating after a video appeared to show a person kicking a sea lion at a beach in California.
The federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a statement on social media that there is an ongoing investigation into the incident.
The video appears to show a man approaching a sea lion sitting on a seawall and kicking the animal while another person is recording and can be heard laughing in the background.
“NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement is investigating reports of a video on social media that shows an interaction between an individual and sea lion, allegedly in La Jolla Cove,” the agency wrote in a Facebook post. “In the video, the individual appears to be kicking the sea lion. This is an ongoing investigation, and we cannot provide further details at this time.
“Sea lions are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Actions or attempts to harass, harm, pursue, feed, capture, injure, restrain (no matter how temporarily), or kill may be punishable through fines or jail time.”
NOAA said that if anyone witnesses a potential Marine Mammal Protection Act violation, the best way to help is to report the incident immediately to NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement and provide detailed information.
The person in the video has not been publicly identified.
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Global News has reached out to NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement for further comment, but has not received a response.
The San Diego Police Department commented under the Instagram post of the video and confirmed that federal officials are investigating the incident.
“We have been made aware of this incident through numerous tags and messages. We agree this behavior is completely unacceptable. The incident was not originally reported to the San Diego Police Department,” the police department wrote in the comment section.
“It is being investigated by NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We appreciate the public’s concern and encourage anyone with relevant information to contact the investigating agencies.”
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote in a post on X that “This disgusting act of animal cruelty is unacceptable.”
“@NOAA is investigating possible federal law violations, and I’ve asked local law enforcement to review the footage as well. We must protect our wildlife,” he wrote.
Sea lions are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s guidelines say people should stay at least 50 feet away from sea lions, seals and other species protected by the act.
Earlier this year, a man was arrested and criminally charged after federal authorities said he was caught on video throwing a rock at an endangered monk seal in Hawaii.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii announced that Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Wash., was charged by criminal complaint with “harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal by throwing a large rock at the seal’s head, in violation of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act.”
According to the criminal complaint, Lytvynchuk was “observed and filmed on May 5, 2026 walking along the shoreline in the Lahaina area of Maui tracking the movements of a Hawaiian monk seal, known as ‘Lani,’ as she playfully pushed a floating log close to the shoreline.”
Lytvynchuk then picked up a large rock, “took aim, and threw the rock directly at Lani’s head,” according to the news release.
Lytvynchuk pleaded not guilty to charges of harassing and attempting to harass a protected animal in May, and was ordered to stay away from Hawaii beaches while the case proceeds.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom Trader allowed him to remain free pending the criminal case but ordered him to stay away from beaches and marine wildlife while in Hawaii, The Associated Press reported.
“You’re not going to the beach, you understand that,” Trader told Lytvynchuk, who responded that he understood.
If convicted, Lytvynchuk faces up to one year in prison for each charge, plus a term of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii. He also faces a fine of up to US$50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and a fine of up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
— with files from The Associated Press
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