Video Emerges of Another Tourist Taunting Sea Lions
In the words of the infamous Chris Crocker — leave the sea lions alone. Not even 24 hours after a tourist was nearly mauled by a sea lion, a different tourist has stepped in to tempt fate in the very same place with the very same animal. And it was all captured on video, too.
The video was taken by an anonymous Sea Lion Trust volunteer on Allans Beach in Dunedin, New Zealand, a little more than 10 km from the original incident, which we reported on Tuesday. In the video, a surfer can be seen provoking three sea lions (two female, one male) on the beach. Eventually, he throws what looks to be a medium-sized rock at the sea mammals.
"I wish he'd trip on his bloody face," says the camerawoman as the surfer ran at the sea lions.
The Department of Conservation in New Zealand believes that people and sea lions are capable of coexisting on Dunedin beaches and doesn't plan on any closures or barring visitors. However, it strongly suggests keeping a 10-meter distance from the sea lions when they are sleeping and a 20-meter distance when they are awake — an action the surfer tourist did not observe.
