A lifeguard has been praised online after they told a girl who was allegedly throwing stones at a sea lion to leave the beach.
The incident, which was shared to TikTok by user @raspberryblush_, shows a group of spectators in La Jolla Cove, a beach area in San Diego, surrounding a wild sea lion that was laying on the sand.
Just a few seconds later, the video shows a little girl in a purple outfit picking something up off the beach and throwing it at the animal, who appeared to flinch upon contact.
Watch the full video below:"Little girl in the purple, you can leave now thanks," came the lifeguard's voice.
A woman standing next to the child, who appears to be the girl's mom, immediately grabs her hand looking shocked at the sudden request.
But while the parent might have been taken aback, those who saw the eight-second clip were not, and instead, they commended the safety officer for doing what they deemed as the right thing.
"Thank you for the person in the loud speaker," said one user, while another added that the beach is used to seeing bad behavior: "People are so foul to their surroundings in [La Jolla]. Last time I went my [boyfriend] had to drag me back to the car I was getting so mad."
"I was confused at first and had to rewatch to realize she threw a rock at it," commented another user. "Yeah, 'YOU CAN LEAVE' lol."
"I used to volunteer as a seal bodyguard and it was so stressful because people were constantly harassing them," another person recalled.
And other social media users pointed out the danger of the situation.
"I am just shocked that people would even get close to them. Wild animals can be so unpredictable and to have your children that close is mind-blowing," one TikToker wrote.
And another commented: "Ugh makes me so mad..Why are people even so close to them??"
According to CBS 8, the incident took place on February 26 and has now been viewed over 2 million times on the video-sharing platform.
Speaking to the outlet, the woman who recorded the clip said that "the mom looked shocked because they finally said something," but that didn't stop them from leaving the premises.
It was revealed in the comments of the video that while they did move away from that particular area, the mother-daughter duo didn't actually vacate the beach as they were told to.
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which published a guide titled 'Marine Life Viewing Guidelines: Guidelines & Distances', beachgoers are "prohibited from harassing, harming, pursuing, wounding, killing, capturing, or collecting marine species protected by the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act.
"NOAA urges members of the public to observe marine animals from a safe and respectful distance, and do not approach or touch them," they added before specifying that for seals and sea lions, the public should "remain at least 50 yards away—about 1/2 a football field. This includes people and pets."
