Updated

Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 26

NOAA Launches Probe Into Sea Lion Kicking Video at La Jolla Cove, Citing 1972 Protection Law

Updated

Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 26

NOAA Launches Probe Into Sea Lion Kicking Video at La Jolla Cove, Citing 1972 Protection Law

Q: Will the unidentified man caught kicking a sea lion at La Jolla Cove face the massive $30,000 federal fine and jail time?

Not yet, and possibly not at all unless investigators can identify him and build a prosecutable case. Federal officials at NOAA are investigating the viral video because sea lions are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which bans harassment and injury of marine mammals. That law can allow civil penalties of more than $30,000 per violation and, in some cases, criminal charges that carry possible jail time. But those are maximum potential penalties, not automatic ones. At this stage, authorities have only said the case is under investigation. The man in the video has not been publicly identified, NBC News has not independently verified the footage, and NOAA has not announced charges, a citation, or a referral for prosecution. Whether he faces a large fine or jail will depend on what investigators can prove: that the incident happened as reported at La Jolla Cove, that the person can be identified, and that the conduct meets the federal standard for unlawful harassment or injury. Evidence such as the original video, witness statements, timestamps, and any identifying details could matter. Past wildlife cases show that enforcement is possible, but not every incident ends in the maximum penalty. So the most accurate answer is that he could face a federal fine and even jail time under the law, but there is no public indication yet that those penalties have been imposed or that charges have been filed.

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 26

NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement said it is investigating social media footage that appears to show a man kicking a protected sea lion at La Jolla Cove in Southern California.
The video shows a man in a T-shirt and shorts approaching a sea lion resting on a seawall, kicking it, and then appearing to try again as the animal retreats.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria called the footage a “disgusting act of animal cruelty” and said he asked local law enforcement to review it; police said federal officials are handling the case.
California sea lions are protected under the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act, which bars feeding, capturing, harming, killing or harassing them and can bring jail time.
La Jolla Cove, about 13 miles northwest of downtown San Diego, is a popular tourist site known for its protected sea lion population, underscoring the wider concern over human-wildlife encounters there.