SAN DIEGO — There’s calmness about the waves crashing in Point La Jolla but there is chaos down in the Cove.
Visitors are again getting dangerously close to sea lions in La Jolla Cove. San Diego park rangers are now sending a warning to people to keep their distance from the sea lions. It’s pupping season for the sea lions and that makes them more vulnerable and more aggressive.
You can see pups who are only a few weeks old trying to feed from their mom at the bottom of the steps, right where swimmers and visitors are legally able to share the space with the protected mammals.
“It’s very hard for us to watch this. It’s really quite shocking,” said Carol Toye, Sierra Club Seal Society of San Diego.
CBS 8 walked down to the Cove with Toye and you could see she was visibly upset.
“We should be a bus length away, but these people, there’s no visual clues, there’s no signage on the beach, so people are left to make their own decisions,” said Toye.
Even tourists agree there should be more than just signs on the stairway to the cove.
“Signage is ok but there could be more,” said Laney Bice, visiting from Texas.
San Diego park rangers were above the Cove at Point La Jolla where families were seen safely watching pupping season behind the fence, gate and sea wall where there are signs posted to stay back.
“We have signs. We have staff here on a daily basis that help educate people,” said Michael Ruiz, San Diego Park Ranger Chief.
After recent encounters of concern, Ruiz called a news conference today to talk about sea lion safety in La Jolla.
The chief says their focus is on Point La Jolla where it’s been blocked off.
“If people unknowingly get too close. We will make contact with them and let them know that they need to stay back,” said Ruiz.
Sea lions fall under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, NOAA is in charge of enforcing the laws and making arrests.
Still city park rangers can educate and warn the public that it is a federal offense to harass sea lions.
In the last year a little girl was seen throwing an object at a sea lion in La Jolla Cove and in another incident, a crowd was seen on camera scattering as a male sea lion charged towards them in La Jolla.
Media pressed the chief on why there are no rangers, signs or cones in the cove where there is concern.
“La Jolla Cove is a swim, scuba and beach area. So, it’s about balance access and making sure that people have the opportunity to enjoy the water and experience the state marine preserve,” said Ruiz.
Sea lion advocates say it’s not enjoyable for the sea life and more needs to be done.
“It’s not enough. It’s not acceptable to leave the situation as it is,” said Toye.
In 2023, the San Diego City Council approved extending the closure at Point La Jolla from six months to the entire year.
WATCH RELATED: Sea lions caught on camera charging crowd of visitors at La Jolla Cove