Locals say they have never seen such a large number of marine mammals collected in Monterey.
Monterey:
Hundreds of California sea lions have taken over San Carlos Beach in Monterey, California, forcing local officials to close the area to humans.
Warning tape has been put up, but crowds still enjoy the animal spectacle, taking photos of the sea lions lounging and playing on the sand and in the water.
While sea lions, or eared seals, are common on some beaches along the California coast, locals say they have never seen so many of the marine mammals 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 food supply. Almost all of the ones that congregated on the beach were males, she said.
“They migrate here from Ventura and the Channel Islands… They're incredibly mobile. They're usually chasing food, and because the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is so productive here, the productivity is really high,” Uttal said.
They are expected to stay on San Carlos Beach for three to four weeks, Uttal said.
Marge Brigadier, a volunteer with the Bay Net program at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, said sea lions are protected by the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which prohibits people from altering sea lions' behavior, meaning it is a violation to approach them too closely or cause them to flee.
“People just need to think about how they would feel if they were relaxing in their bed and dozing and something big was constantly coming and chasing them out of their home,” Brigadier said.
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