San Diego teen pleads guilty to kicking a California sea lion in the face
The video, which went viral, showed 18-year-old Tyler Muehl launching an unprovoked attack on the animal, in what the San Diego mayor described as a “disgusting act of cruelty”.
California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) and a Western gull (Larus occidentalis) in Scripps Park in La Jolla (San Diego, California). Credit: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A San Diego teenager who was filmed repeatedly kicking out at a California sea lion has pleaded guilty to violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Tyler Muehl, 18, admitted launching an unprovoked attack on a sea lion who had been sitting peacefully on the sea wall in La Jolla Cove, near Ellen Browning Scripps Park.
Filmed on a friend’s cell phone, Muehl is heard referring to himself as “Max Holloway”, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter, while approaching the animal with his hands at high guard, as if preparing to fight.
Laughter can be heard as he lands a kick on the sea lion’s face, causing the animal to flinch and recoil. After suffering a second kick to the neck, the sea lion turns and tries to flee, but Muehl runs after it, launching further kicks. The attack only ends once the sea lion manages to escape over the sea wall.
Recorded on July 22, the video quickly went viral, before being deleted amid widespread condemnation. San Diego mayor Todd Gloria described the incident as a “disgusting act of animal cruelty.” Writing on X, he added “We must protect our wildlife.”
An investigation was opened by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with Muehl appearing in federal court on August 13. According to his plea agreement, Muehl admitted that the viral video was a fair and accurate portrayal of what had occurred on that late July evening.
Under federal law, it is illegal to undertake any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance which has the potential to injure a marine mammal. The maximum penalty is one year in prison and $100,000 in fines. Muehl will be sentenced on October 20.
“NOAA’s Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement takes all violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act very seriously,” said NOAA-Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement West Coast Division assistant director, Eric Morgan. “Intentionally striking or kicking a marine mammal is not only illegal – it is dangerous for the well-being of the animal.”
California sea lions ( Zalophus californianus ) in La Jolla (San Diego, California). Credit: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
California sea lions have recently been frequenting La Jolla Cove to swim, rest, and raise their pups. Typically, sea lions give birth on remote, inaccessible rookeries, and so La Jolla Cove – currently ranked on Tripadvisor as the best beach in the U.S. – offers a rare chance to observe these iconic animals up close.
While millions flock to the Cove every year, campaigners have warned the public not to interact with sea lions, as scent is integral to mother-baby bonding – a single touch from a human can alter the pup’s scent, causing the mother to abandon them. As a result, the pup – who relies on the mother to find food – will succumb to starvation. In 2024 alone, almost 80 percent of sea lion pups on La Jolla Cove died within six weeks. In the nearby Point La Jolla, which is closed off to humans, the mortality rate is much lower, at just 10 percent.
To help protect the animals, park rangers now patrol the beach, while amplified messages in different languages warn tourists not to touch or harass marine life. Volunteers from local charities also try to educate beachgoers.
Earlier this year, rangers ordered a family from China to leave La Jolla Cove, after the children were seen throwing rocks at sea lions on the shore. A local nature photographer who was at the beach on February 23 captured the incident on camera. Jim Grant told NBC San Diego that in all the years he has been photographing marine life at La Jolla Cove, this was the first time he had seen anyone removed from the beach.
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