Sea lions gather at San Carlos Beach while local authorities decide to temporarily close the beach due to the large crowd of these marine mammals in Monterey, California, US, on August 22, 2024. | Photo credit: Reuters
Hundreds of California sea lions have taken over San Carlos Beach in Monterey, California, forcing local officials to close the area to the public.
Caution tape has been put up, but crowds are still flocking to see the animal exhibit, and take photos of the sea lions relaxing and playing in the sand and water.
Although sea lions or eared seals are frequently seen on some beaches along the California coast, local residents say they have never seen so many marine mammals gathered in Monterey.
Lisa Uttal, a marine biologist at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, said it’s unclear why the sea lions chose San Carlos Beach, but they may be attracted by the ecosystem’s rich diversity in food supply. She said nearly all of those gathered on the beach were males.
“They migrate from Ventura and the Channel Islands to here … they’re incredibly mobile. They’re usually looking for food and because the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is so productive, the productivity here is really high,” Ms. Uttal said.
Ms. Uttal said they were expected to stay at San Carlos beach for three to four weeks.
Marge Brig, a volunteer with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s Bay Net program, said sea lions are protected under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which prohibits people from altering sea lions’ behavior, meaning it’s a violation to get too close to them or force them to flee.
“People need to think about how they would feel if they were relaxing in their bed and having a nap and something big came along and chased them out of their house,” Ms Brig said.