It isn’t bacteria-tainted water or a sewer leak it has forced the closure of one of Monterey’s beaches in the middle of the summer tourist season.
It’s a huge colony of sea lions, which have decided to occupy a stretch of San Carlos Beach on bustling Cannery Row instead of their usual rocky sanctuary a short distance away.
And from the looks of it, the lovebirds 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 spokesman Laurie Huelga said.
City officials don’t know when the sea lions, which have already been on the beach for two weeks, will leave but they typically stay between three and four weeks, Huelga said. City parks staff have been working with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to monitor the animals.
“We want residents and visitors to be safe when visiting the coast, and remind you to enjoy and view the sea lions from a distance of at least 50 meters,” city officials said in a news release Monday. “Remember that we humans share 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 can be fined or jailed, according to the release.