California Coastal Commission members are pushing to partially close La Jolla Cove after a teen’s viral sea lion attack exposed what they call years of failed city management.
The commission floated the drastic measure on Friday after Tyler Muehl, 18, was arrested for repeatedly kicking a sea lion at the popular San Diego beachfront spot. Members believe the city has done an insufficient job of protecting wildlife as tourists flood the cove, and the latest incident has pushed several commissioners to demand immediate action.
“I’m, quite honestly, just embarrassed to be a city of San Diego resident right now,” Commissioner Matt O’Malley said at the meeting, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “Frankly, I’m sick and tired of the failure of the city to implement the previously proposed plan in a coordinated way.”
O’Malley believes the circumstances have grown so dire that an additional park ranger presence is needed, in addition to a partial closure of the cove. He continued his criticism of city leadership in blunt terms.
“I’m left to conclude that where there is a will, there is a way, and I can only conclude there is no will on behalf of the city to protect the wildlife in this area,” he said. “I know there are some limits to the role the commission can play here, but I would like for us to push those limits to their greatest extent. … I’m at the point where I believe a partial closure is the only way to deal with this issue until the city gets their program implementation figured out and investigates what is going on here. I’m sorry to have to be an advocate for that at this point.”
Another commissioner, Jose Preciado, offered a different framing of the same concern. He said he believes the cove “needs some sort of reboot in the sense that maybe preserving the environment completely… while everyone gets policies and practices squared away.”
Commission vice chair Caryl Hart added her voice to the chorus of frustration, stating that the situation at La Jolla Cove “has gotten worse and worse instead of better” in recent months.
“It is completely out of control… but how can we protect these natural resources?” She asked.
The commission’s extraordinary session came just one day after Muehl pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The teen admitted in his plea agreement that he kicked at the animal four separate times and made contact while doing so near Ellen Browning Scripps Park. The crime carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
In the viral moment that sparked the commission’s emergency response, Muehl is seen approaching the sea lion with his hands raised as though preparing to box or fight it. The video circulated widely online, drawing furious reactions from animal welfare advocates and local residents who have watched human-sea lion conflicts escalate at the cove.
Problems between people and sea lions at La Jolla Cove have been documented for some time. Tourists frequently come too close to the animals and provoke them. Sea lion pups who have had human interaction can die because mothers will abandon their offspring following such contact. About 40% of sea lion pups born at La Jolla Cove have died this year, according to wildlife monitors.
The San Diego mayor’s office has pushed back against the closure talk. A staffer for Mayor Todd Gloria said the office has not made any commitment to closing the cove seasonally or year-round and has not “entertained” the idea either.
“Making sure we are ensuring coastal access and also preventing any incidents is something that has been challenging, but something we have been… trying to come up with solutions (for),” the staffer said. “We are constantly evaluating what measures we can use.”
The standoff between state coastal regulators and city officials comes as La Jolla Cove enjoys peak visibility. TripAdvisor named it the No. 1 beach in the US earlier this year over several picturesque locales in Hawaii and Florida. The cove sits about 13 miles outside of downtown San Diego and is known for its rocky cliffs and pristine water. Parts of the cove are ideal for snorkeling during the summer months.
The cove is part of a protected marine reserve, and visitors occasionally get too close to the sea lions to take selfies, which the city explicitly advises against.