In the Pipeline: Wild creatures are not playthings

The sea lion under the Huntington Beach Pier barked and kept twisting its head around, seemingly to try to get a sense of who or what was surrounding it. Clearly in great discomfort, it finally sat perfectly still, its nose high in the air, like it was trying to block out the human-caused chaos around it.

This was the uncomfortable scene the morning of the Surf City Splash on New Year’s Day.

The event itself was great. Hundreds of people showed up for an early breakfast and a dip in the cool blue Pacific to kick off the new year.

But just after everyone made the mad dash into the water, some of us noticed a crowd gathering under the pier. And then we heard the barks of the sea lion, which had a messy tangle of fish line and hooks sticking out of one of its flippers.

On closer inspection, it was obvious the animal was in distress. At the moment, nothing could be done about that. But animal control was called and would be there within the hour, we were told.

What could have been prevented was the party-like atmosphere in the circle of several dozen people who decided the sea lion was on display for their amusement. Parents allowed small children to get within a couple of feet of the chocolate-brown mammal, even though it was showing its teeth and was obviously agitated.

Others tried to position themselves near enough to take a “selfie” with the animal. It was disturbing enough that a couple of us admonished the people and let them know that the animal needed space and as much peace and quiet as possible. At first we were ignored. Then a few people scoffed and muttered about us minding our own business.

One little girl, about 5 years old, danced closer and closer to the sea lion. A woman who appeared to be her mother was smiling from about 30 feet away. I said to her, “You know she can get really hurt by that animal, right?” The woman just smiled and shrugged, as if to say, “Well, what can you do?”

Then a man walked by with his young son within about six feet of the sea lion. The animal barked, and the father barked back, twice as loud, clearly startling the animal. Both father and son laughed as the dad tousled his son’s hair.

I’m not sure I would describe any of this as malicious as much as clueless and ignorant. Just days before, a young woman posted a photo of herself trying to pet a pelican on the pier. With that image in my head, it struck me that many people feel no sense of boundary, especially when it comes to wildlife. They seem to feel as if the world is their personal petting zoo or nature film.

But it’s not.

This behavior isn’t confined to the gang of people who surrounded the sea lion. Many times while walking in the wetlands, I’ve seen professional photographers who should, and I’m sure do, know better traipsing where they are not supposed to be, upsetting natural habitats simply to get their shots.

In Huntington Beach, we share our space with many kinds of animals. And as parcel by parcel gets eaten up by development, guess what? The space we share is going to get a lot tighter.

If people don’t respect the space of wild animals, we’re going to have many more accidents. Can you imagine the horrific scene if a child had been attacked by that sea lion?

And guess what? The animal would have been in the right. It’s the parent creating the chaos at that point. But no doubt it also would be the parent looking to have the animal put down afterward.

I shot some images of the scene from a distance, after we cleared people away, with a telephoto lens. It doesn’t capture all the anxiety, but it does give you a sense of how close certain lingerers were getting to the wounded and unquestionably upset animal.

As of this writing, the sea lion is under the care of the remarkable Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, where she has been named Prima. She’s feeding herself, has gained 15 pounds and is sharing a pool with another female rescue, Holly. She is expected to be OK and hopefully back to sea in one to three months.

If you’ve never been to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center to see its great work, it’s well worth the visit. I’d like to thank the staff for the updates on Prima and for its always dedicated professionalism.

I hope people begin using not just common courtesy but also common sense when it comes to wild animals, whether they are injured or not. They live here too. And they deserve better.

CHRIS EPTING is the author of 25 books, including “Huntington Beach Chronicles: The Heart of Surf City.” You can chat with him on Twitter @chrisepting or follow his column at facebook.com/hbindependent.