Monterey: Hundreds of sea lions take over California beach and drive people out
Monterey: Local authorities in Monterey, California had to block San Carlos Beach to human traffic because hundreds of California sea lions had taken over the beach.
Despite the presence of caution tape, people are still attracted to the sea lions’ antics and snap pictures of them as they lounge and play in the water and sand.
Although sea lions, also known as eared seals, are often seen at several beaches around the California coast, locals claim to have never seen so many of the aquatic animals congregated in Monterey.
It’s unclear precisely why the sea lions choose San Carlos Beach, but Lisa Uttal, a marine scientist with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, said they could be drawn to the ecosystem’s vast range of food sources. She reported that almost everyone there on the beach was male.
“They move here from Ventura and the Channel Islands during their migration… They move about so much. Because Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is so prolific, they are often seeking food, and the production is really rich,” Uttal added.
According to Uttal, they were supposed to stay on San Carlos Beach for three or four weeks.
SOURCE AND CREDIT: INSIDE EDITION
The sea lions are protected by the US Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, according to Marge Brigadier, a volunteer with the Bay Net program at Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This act forbids people from altering the behavior of sea lions, so getting too close to them or making them run away is against the law.
“People just need to think about how they would feel if they were resting on their bed taking a nap and something big kept coming and chasing them out of the house,” stated the Brigadier.
