An 18-year-old La Jolla man who was caught on video repeatedly kicking a sea lion last month pleaded guilty to harassing marine wildlife, federal officials announced Thursday. Tyler Muehl admitted to striking the animal four times on the evening of July 22 at La Jolla Cove, a popular beach known for its sea lion population.
The incident, captured in a viral video, shows Muehl kicking the sea lion in the head and body even as the animal tried to scramble away. According to the plea agreement filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Muehl kept his arms up in a boxing stance and even referred to himself as Max Holloway, a UFC fighter. After the second kick, the sea lion turned to flee, but Muehl chased it and kicked twice more before the animal escaped over a sea wall.
The video sparked outrage online and drew attention from federal investigators and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. “What happened at Point La Jolla was unacceptable, and I said then that there needed to be accountability,” Gloria said in a statement Thursday. “Today’s guilty plea makes clear that harming or harassing our marine wildlife has serious consequences.”
Eric Morgan, a law enforcement official with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, underscored the gravity of the offense. “Intentionally striking or kicking a marine mammal is not only illegal — it is dangerous for the well-being of the animal,” Morgan said.
Muehl’s plea falls under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which prohibits hunting, harassing, capturing, or killing any marine mammal in U.S. waters. He is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 20 and faces up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $100,000.
