Federal officials investigating after video appears to show man kicking a sea lion on a California beach

U.S. newsFederal officials investigating after video appears to show man kicking a sea lion on a California beachThe reported incident took place Wednesday evening near La Jolla Cove, a tourist destination known for its sandstone features and protected sea lion population.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Sea lions at Boomer Beach in La Jolla, Calif., in July 2025. La Jolla is well known for its colonies of California sea lions and harbor seals, which hang out on the rocky coastline throughout the year. Ronen Tivony / NurPhoto via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 25, 2026, 11:58 PM EDT / Updated July 25, 2026, 11:59 PM EDTBy Dennis Romero and Angela DallmanSAN DIEGO — Federal officials are investigating a reported incident in which a man appeared to kick and harass a protected sea lion on a city operated beach.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement is investigating reports of a video that “shows an interaction between an individual and sea lion,” NOAA Fisheries spokesperson Rachel Hager said by email Saturday. “In the video, the individual appears to be kicking the sea lion,” she said. “This is an ongoing investigation, and we cannot provide further details at this time.”NBC News could not immediately obtain or verify the video because its apparent owner deleted their social media accounts. The person in the video has not been publicly identified. Authorities said the reported incident happened Wednesday night near La Jolla Cove, where Sea Lions have been so plentiful on wet, sandstone plateaus that city officials have scrambled to provide them with sufficient real estate that’s off-limits to visitors.The San Diego Police Department told NBC San Diego it fielded tips about video via social media and asked those concerned to reach out to NOAA. On Saturday, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said he’...