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An 18-year-old man has admitted to repeatedly kicking a California sea lion in La Jolla Cove last month after the attack went viral on social media.
Tyler Muehl, 18, from La Jolla, pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday to violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act’s prohibition on harassment of wildlife, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California.
Last month, the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a statement on social media that there was an ongoing investigation into the incident.
The video appears to show a man approaching a sea lion sitting on a seawall and kicking the animal while another person is recording and can be heard laughing in the background.
According to Muehl’s plea agreement, he admitted that late in the evening on July 22, he repeatedly kicked at the sea lion, which was peacefully sitting on the sea wall in La Jolla Cove.
Muehl said he approached the animal with his hands raised as if he were preparing to box or fight the animal.
He called himself “Max Holloway,” referring to the Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter.
“The defendant admitted that he kicked at the sea lion four different times and that he made contact while kicking at the animal. Muehl twice forcefully kicked at the sea lion’s face, which caused the sea lion to rear flinch and immediately recoil,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
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“After the second kick, the sea lion turned and tried to flee, but Muehl chased after the animal and kicked at it a third time. As the sea lion tried to get away, it stumbled on the sea wall as it fled. Muehl kicked at the sea lion a fourth time and continued to chase the animal, ending his pursuit only when the sea lion escaped over the sea wall and made it to the beach. Muehl agreed as part of his plea agreement that a video capturing the event was a fair and accurate recording of what occurred.”
Muehl is expected to be sentenced on Oct. 20 and faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison and US$100,000 fine.
“National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement takes all violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act very seriously,” said NOAA-Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement West Coast Division assistant director Eric Morgan. “Intentionally striking or kicking a marine mammal is not only illegal—it is dangerous for the well-being of the animal.”
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria shared a statement regarding the guilty plea.
“What happened at Point La Jolla was unacceptable, and I said then that there needed to be accountability. Today’s guilty plea makes clear that harming or harassing our marine wildlife has serious consequences. I appreciate our federal partners for taking this case seriously. Our coastline belongs to all of us, and protecting its wildlife requires everyone to respect these animals, keep a safe distance and follow the law,” Gloria said.
Sea lions are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s guidelines say people should stay at least 50 feet away from sea lions, seals and other species protected by the act.
Earlier this year, a man was arrested and criminally charged after federal authorities said he was caught on video throwing a rock at an endangered monk seal in Hawaii.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii announced that Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Wash., was charged by criminal complaint with “harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal by throwing a large rock at the seal’s head, in violation of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act.”
According to the criminal complaint, Lytvynchuk was “observed and filmed on May 5, 2026 walking along the shoreline in the Lahaina area of Maui tracking the movements of a Hawaiian monk seal, known as ‘Lani,’ as she playfully pushed a floating log close to the shoreline.”
Lytvynchuk then picked up a large rock, “took aim, and threw the rock directly at Lani’s head,” according to the news release.
Lytvynchuk pleaded not guilty to charges of harassing and attempting to harass a protected animal in May, and was ordered to stay away from Hawaii beaches while the case proceeds.
If convicted, Lytvynchuk faces up to one year in prison for each charge, plus a term of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii. He also faces a fine of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and a fine of up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
— with files from The Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
