It isn’t bacteria-tainted water or a sewage leak that’s forced the closure of one of Monterey’s beaches in the middle of its summer tourist season.
It’s a huge colony of sea lions, who have decided to occupy a stretch of San Carlos Beach on busy Cannery Row instead of their normal rocky sanctuary a short distance away.
And by the looks of it, the pinnipeds won’t be leaving anytime soon.
The group of mostly male sea lions travels every year from the Channel Islands to rest and feed and they usually stay along adjacent beaches but this time, they decided to call San Carlos Beach their home, city spokesperson Laurie Huelga said.
City officials don’t know when the sea lions, who’ve already been at the beach for two weeks, will leave but they usually stay between three and four weeks, Huelga said. The city’s parks staff has been working with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to monitor the animals.
“We want residents and visitors to be safe while visiting the coastline, and remind you to enjoy and watch the sea lions from a distance of at least 50 yards,” city officials said in a Monday news release. “Please remember, we humans are sharing this space with other species.”
Sea lions and other marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which means anyone who feeds, harasses, captures or kills them could face fines or jail time, according to the release.