Chinese Family Removed from La Jolla Cove Over Sea Lion Harassment

A tense encounter at San Diego's La Jolla Cove on February 22 ended with a family visiting from China being ordered to leave the beach after their children repeatedly harassed resting sea lions.

Local photographer Jim Grant captured the incident on video, which showed the children throwing sand, dirt, and rocks at the protected marine mammals. After observing the behavior and issuing multiple stern warnings that went ignored, a San Diego Park Ranger directed the mother to the top of the stairs and instructed the family of six to leave the immediate area. While they were not explicitly forced out of the broader Scripps Park, the family, who was visibly unhappy with the decision, chose to depart entirely.

Despite the blatant harassment, no citation or fine was issued to the family. City park rangers have the authority to remove individuals for public safety and park rule violations, but they lack the legal jurisdiction to enforce or write tickets for violations of the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act. That specific prosecutorial power rests strictly with federal agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

This incident highlights an escalating tension at La Jolla Cove. With the area seeing millions of tourists, wildlife advocates have grown increasingly alarmed by visitors treating the wild animals like a personal petting zoo. Constant harassment and close-proximity encounters cause severe stress to the sea lion population and have even been linked to pup abandonment and death. Grant, who has photographed the cove for decades, noted that while he had never seen an "eviction" like this before, he was relieved to finally see strict enforcement in action.
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