Federal officials say they are investigating after a video appeared to show a person striking a sea lion in San Diego, drawing outrage from local officials and the public.
The video showed a man following and kicking at the sea lion while another person laughed. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said over the weekend that the incident occurred at Point La Jolla, a popular coastal spot to watch the sea lions.
The Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it was “investigating reports of a video on social media” that appeared to show someone kicking a sea lion.
“Sea lions are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA),” the agency wrote on social media. “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.”
Gloria wrote on X that he has also asked local law enforcement to review the video. “This disgusting act of animal cruelty is unacceptable,” he said.
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