Tourists risk safety for photos with sea lions on crowded beach
A video has surfaced online showing tourists getting dangerously close to sea lions, all to capture the perfect photo.
The video was posted on the Touronsofnationalparks Instagram profile. It shows a group of sea lions resting on the beach. Right in front of them, tourists gather closely to take pictures.
A step away from disaster
At a certain point, you can see one of the girls getting very close to the sleeping animals and crouching down to pose for a photo.
Right after her, another tourist took a similar position, startling the sleeping sea lions and startling them. The animals quickly got up, causing panic among their companions. The girl also got scared and jumped back towards the group of tourists.
Although no one was injured, this situation should be treated as a warning. Startled animals could have attacked and wounded the curious girl with their teeth.
Tourists should keep a safe distance from animals
"My mum once witnessed a similar situation. A tourist from Germany wanted to take a picture of a walrus, so he kicked it to wake it up. Instead of a photo, he ended up with six holes in his leg from its teeth," we read in the comments under the shared post.
"This is ridiculous," commented someone else. "The park authorities should somehow fence off the area where these animals are located so that people cannot get so close," we read.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, you should keep a distance of at least 45–90 metres from sea lions and other marine mammals.
