Keeping people from harassing sea lions and seals at La Jolla Cove is an ongoing challenge for San Diego city park rangers. On Sunday, a family visiting from China went too far with children reportedly throwing sand and rocks at some of the marine mammals on the shore. San Diego photographer J im Grant happened to be at the Cove taking still photos. He witnessed a park ranger confront the mother of the children and shot video with his cell phone. “He [the park ranger] was giving a really stern warning to a couple of kids about throwing things,” Grant told NBC 7. “Finally he told the mother to come up from the beach and to the top of the stairs.” A park ranger confronted the mother (woman in brown jacket) of children he saw harassing sea lions on the beach on Sunday in La Jolla, California, on Feb. 23, 2026. The family was ordered to leave. In the video Grant shot, the park ranger is heard asking the mother, “in China do you throw dirt at the animals, too?” Harassing sea lions at La Jolla Cove is a federal offense under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), carrying severe penalties of more than $30,000 per violation, and up to one year in prison. The mother was not given a citation, only a warning and ordered to leave the Cove with her family. Grant said that in the many years he has been photographing nature at the La Jolla Cove, he had never seen anyone be removed from the area. A young visitor to La Jolla Cove on Monday plays in the sand as sea lions rest on nearby rocks in La Jolla, California, on Feb. 23, 2026. Park rangers use a megaphone during the day to warn visitors that they are not following the rules. There is also a recorded message amplified often in English, Spanish, and Mandarin to make sure as many foreign tourists as possible understand the laws. “The Cove is not your personal petting zoo, and it’s not the wild, wild, west. There are federal regulations that are put there for a reason,” Grant said. Jim Grant has been photographing marine wildlife at the La Jolla Cove for decades, as he was on Feb. 23, 2026. He is a San Diego native who calls his photography not only a hobby but also his passion. ...read more read less