A now-viral video posted over the weekend shows a man shotgunning a beverage, backflipping into the water off of Pier 39 in San Francisco, and harassing sea lions, KTLA sister station KRON4 reports.
Video shows the man running at the sea lions, which scatter into the water.
Commenters on social media were outraged by the behavior.
“Don’t mess with our sea lions like that,” said one commenter.
“Interesting how breaking the law is supposed to be funny?” said another. “The marine mammal protection act isn’t a joke…. Just leave them alone.”
The Marine Mammal Center said they were made aware of the video on Saturday and reported it to NOAA Law Enforcement for further investigation.
Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, it is illegal to harass or harm marine mammals and is punishable by law.
NOAA officials confirmed that the video has been passed on to the NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement, which is asking anyone with information on the incident to contact our law enforcement hotline at 800-853-1964 or online for reporting violations.
The Marine Mammal Center suggests staying at least 50 feet away from marine life and more if the animal is paying attention to you or your pet.
