In a viral TikTok video posted by a creator trying to enjoy watching sea lions at La Jolla Cove in San Diego, a little girl is seen throwing sand at a sea lion before being told to leave.
The video—which has been viewed nearly 3 million times—is captioned:
"Lifeguards thank you for this."
The child in the video was throwing sand at a nearby sea lion. According to the creator, the video captured the third time the child did this.
In the video, a lifeguard could be heard saying:
"Little girl in the purple, you can leave now."
"Thanks."
You can watch the moment below.
Viewers of the TikTok were outraged.
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And several were furious that the adult figures were just watching without interjecting.
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Many also took the opportunity to applaud the lifeguard for calling out the little girl and asking her to leave.
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Aside from the fact that the girl could have injured the sea lion, it could have easily gone the other way had the sea lion felt threatened.
Not to mention, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), harassing marine animals - including sea lions - is illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The NOAA defines harassment as:
"... when we disturb, injure, or interfere with its ability to hunt, feed, communicate, socialize, rest, breed, or care for its young."
They continue that if one harasses a sea lion as defined by NOAA, the person may be investigated by their Office of Law Enforcement
The NOAA also recommends keeping 100 yards of distance between yourself and sea lions if possible, something most of the beachgoers in the video were not practicing.
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