Nature has delivered an incredibly rare surprise to San Diego: a sea lion at La Jolla Cove recently gave birth to twins. According to local rangers and the Seal Society, this is a first for the area. The chances of a twin birth are incredibly low, estimated between just 0.06% and 0.38%.
We’ve got twins! Now what?
While the arrival of these 2 healthy pups is a thrilling event, their survival in the wild is highly precarious. There has never been a documented case of sea lion twins surviving to adulthood without human intervention, primarily because a mother typically cannot produce enough milk. Because the odds are already stacked against this cute family (though they are being closely supervised), human cooperation is absolutely critical to give them a fighting chance. That’s where we come in – or quite literally, don’t.
How to protect the adorable sea lion twins
If you plan to visit La Jolla Cove to catch a glimpse of the newborns, wildlife experts emphasize that you must observe strict distance guidelines. Federal law mandates keeping a minimum distance of 50 yards from sea lions. To picture this, imagine the length of 3 school buses.
For the safety of the pups, stay on the walkways above the cove and completely off the sand. Approaching the animals causes extreme stress and anxiety for the colony. Most dangerously, if humans get too close or attempt to touch the pups, the mother is highly likely to abandon them. A mother’s abandonment is an immediate death sentence for these already vulnerable twins.
We can all do our part to protect this historic birth. Safely root for the family from the designated viewing areas above the beach, and if you want a close-up photo, rely on a zoom lens. Let’s give these rare babies the space and peace they need to survive!
