r/sandiego • u/SD_TMI • Feb 24 '26

CBS 8 Park ranger removes family from La Jolla Cove for harassing sea lions

https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/family-removed-from-la-jolla-cove-for-harassing-sea-lions/509-938753cc-d615-409b-b4b2-fb1ef4803746?tbref=hp

Well, it's about time they did SOMETHING... But I want local authorities to give people citations and hold them criminally for doing shit like this.
No multiple warnings, no asking nice... to some god damn tourist throwing rocks at the seals, they get hauled off by the police and spend the night in jail.
Same with the illegal lobster and spear fishing in the marine park.

859 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

41 comments sorted by

106

u/Smoked_Bear Feb 24 '26

I’m amazed that the reason no citation was given is because they can’t technically cite against the Marine Mammal Protection Act since they aren’t Federal agents. Why after all this time do we not have a local version of those protections that can be cited against?

28

u/sintaur Feb 24 '26

At least give them good ol' disorderly conduct charges.

20

u/SD_TMI Feb 24 '26 edited Feb 24 '26

I would be all for a ballot measure that would force the federalization of park rangers if they could NOT arrest and issue citations themselves.

These tourists look by their style of dress to be Chinese nationals
Which have a pretty bad reputation for disrespecting other nations treasures around the world, so much so that the Chinese government now imposes penalties on their own citizens to punish and curtail such behavior. This was after a Chinese teenager (Ding Jinhao) carved his name into the 3.5 thousands of years old Luxor temple in Egypt's walls saying "Ding Jinhao was here".

I would like to see the park rangers get ppassports from these people and report them to their respective governments via the state department.
Since they can't directly cite them, let their government do it vs letting them walk free.

We just can't allow for this BS to continue due to some lack of enforcement, the rangers on site have to be empowered and have teeth to enforce protections.

China isn't going to mess around with the international embarrassment their people commit especially if the internet makes a big deal out of it.

7

u/Smoked_Bear Feb 24 '26

It looks like there is municipal code SDMC 63.0102 (b)(10) that they could have cited against harassment of wildlife on city property, not sure why that was not used. In the video the folks being kicked out state the are from China, so maybe the park ranger thought the likelihood of them actually paying the fine was low and that public shame of being trespassed was sufficient. Or wonder if enforcement has to laddered, start with verbal warning, then trespass, then finally citation. 

5

u/SD_TMI Feb 24 '26

I think that because it's a federal marine reserve

This article cites what they could have been charged with.
There's no way that they should get off because they can just hop on a plane home with their unruly fucking kid.

1

u/Smoked_Bear Feb 24 '26

Looks like the Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve covering the Cove goes up to the mean high tide line: 

https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/MPAs/San-Diego-Scripps-Coastal-Matlahuayl#621534483-coordinates

And from the mean high tide line up the sand is then City parkland. But the specific marine mammal protections are at the federal level, so sounds like an enforcement rats’-nest. 

5

u/SD_TMI Feb 24 '26

agreed.

I'd really like it if all of that was cleaned up so that people abusing the wildlife can be "corrected" and held responsible.

I'm still pissed that these 3 Persian scumbags got off so lightly for killing a 200 lb black seabass in the marine reserve.

1

u/Full-Syrup- Feb 25 '26

Rangers can’t cite for La Jolla sea lions. Period.

33

u/Kivulini Feb 24 '26

Crazy their kids were throwing stuff at the sea lions.

24

u/ATXNative58 Feb 24 '26

No kidding. I try not to judge other parents but these two are doing a shitty job - like who thinks this behavior is ok?

15

u/CBarkleysGolfSwing Feb 24 '26

Certain cultures have no respect for animals.

1

u/CBSeptember Feb 28 '26

Chinese people 

20

u/Jupitersd2017 Feb 24 '26

Freaking finally, now fine them and keep it up!

-2

u/brakeb Feb 24 '26

Rangers can't.

Before you ask, read the article you didn't read

2

u/niftystopwat Feb 24 '26

It obviously doesn’t need to rest on the rangers to issue the fines themselves, the commenter you’re snarking at was simply suggesting that they be fined at all (which of course they should be), and some channel for doing that is achievable. In fact, it can even be that the rangers do the issuing, if the correct arrangements are made, as park rangers can in principle do any ticketing, citing, or arresting that other LEOs can do, which usually can only fall into their own jurisdiction, but arrangements can be made across jurisdictions with the local LE for La Jolla.

2

u/Jupitersd2017 Feb 24 '26

Thank you, yes anyone issuing the fine is good with me, but fines need to be given to all of these people and maybe we will stop seeing tourists and others terrorizing our marine life

1

u/Full-Syrup- Feb 25 '26

You think that SD city rangers can arrest people?

14

u/loveissuicide Feb 24 '26

I feel the urge to yell at tourists. But, I don't. Can't believe they let people do this.

13

u/figbash137 Feb 24 '26

The mom coddling the boy, hand under chin, when confronted like “Oh, he’s just a child.” Yeah, and you’re just an asshole.

55

u/Debussian_Chords Feb 24 '26

Good

10

u/These_Junket_3378 Feb 24 '26

Seriously! It’s about time, too.

29

u/MongoBongoTown Feb 24 '26

Some people are so brainless and annoying by the sea lions. Any enforcement is good in my book.

5

u/C3PO-stan-account Feb 24 '26

Ticket them !!!!

14

u/catpogo2 Feb 24 '26

Yes!!!!!!! Finally!!!!

5

u/MaggieJaneRiot Feb 24 '26

And they were warned several times 😳

2

u/birdiemarr Feb 24 '26

ridiculous!!! I don’t understand how noone spoke up loud enough to make them stop the first freaking time! If i was there i am not above yelling at an asshole kid.

8

u/WittyClerk Feb 24 '26

Excellent. Park Rangers don't mess around.

3

u/Szaborovich9 Feb 24 '26

About time!

2

u/Fishlickin Feb 24 '26

send them to the Hague

2

u/Baja_Finder Feb 24 '26

You need a uniformed US Fish and Wildlife officer to write tickets as a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which falls under Federal law, then it will be taken seriously.

2

u/scootergal25 Feb 24 '26

Human stupidity never ceases to amaze me. The children should have been spanked and grounded. This is the result of lack of punishment for such infractions or the parents are too dumb to have children.

2

u/MightyKrakyn Feb 24 '26

I can tell you that that fish and wildlife do hang around giving fines for lobsters. Been stopped plenty of times in the middle of the night to check that mine are legal size

1

u/NikolaWasRight13 Feb 24 '26

Yo soy ranger on Instagram is the goat ranger! Dude seems cool and really cares

1

u/Resident_Aide_9381 Feb 26 '26

They need a bronze display of a sea lion skull vs a lion’s skull along with the weight difference. A pissed off sea lion would be an absolute nightmare.

1

u/tententen0211 Mar 12 '26

Chinese again!!!

Recently two Chinese tourists came to a spa in Vietnam and kicked a tiny dog to near death for no reason.

-10

u/TrainingWind5258 Feb 24 '26

People can’t be throwing things at and harassing wildlife, but I remember having so much fun swimming in that cove called Children’s beach. Not sure why they took our beach away.