A video posted to social media shows a man at La Jolla Cove in San Diego repeatedly kicking a California sea lion as the animal tried to escape.

The footage has sparked outrage across the country, and it should. This was not an accident. It was a deliberate act of cruelty against a wild animal in its natural habitat.

California sea lions are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Harassing, injuring, or attempting to harm a marine mammal is a federal crime, punishable by fines and jail time. NOAA Fisheries' Office of Law Enforcement has opened an investigation, and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has called the act "disgusting" and asked local law enforcement to review the footage as well.

That's a start, but we need to make sure it goes all the way. Investigations must lead to real consequences. The person in that video must be identified, charged, and held fully accountable under federal law. Anything less sends the message that attacking a protected animal carries no real risk.

Our coastal wildlife deserves to exist without fear of human cruelty. Sea lions at La Jolla Cove are not a nuisance, they are part of a living ecosystem that belongs to all of us. This community will not look away.

Sign this petition to demand that NOAA Fisheries and San Diego law enforcement identify the individual in this video, pursue charges to the fullest extent of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and ensure justice is served for the sea lion at La Jolla Cove.