Why are there so many sea lions in the Monterey Peninsula?

MONTEREY BAY, Calif. (KION-TV) If you've walked down Lover's Point or even hung out by the Old Fisherman's Wharf, you've probably heard the sounds and barks from these big belly sea creatures.

"It's very unusual to see this many for me, we've seen them on coast guard pier, but not the wharf," on Monterey resident told KION at the Fisherman's Wharf. "There are so many. I've never seen that many in all the time I've lived here."

According to The Marine Mammal Center, sea lions are ubiquitous this time of year. They're returning from the Channel Islands after their breeding season. They're stopping by the peninsula to find small inlets to eat and forage. 

While it's exciting to see the sea lions, the Marine Mammal Center said they've never seen a group this big.

"The sea lions are a great indicator of our ocean health. We see a lot of sea lions with healthy body conditions out foraging," said Morgan Fisher from The Marine Mammal Center, Monterey Bay Operations.

But there's another concern: shark attacks along the Monterey Peninsula.

"The sea lion population is prime hunting grounds for them," said David Calderon Manriquez, who studied sharks at CSUMB. "They've been coming here for years and eating those sea lions. It's to be expected they're going to be in the water."

Marine mammals, like sea lions, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. People who harass, feed, capture, or kill any marine mammal could face a hefty fine or even jail time.

The Marine Mammal Center urges people to enjoy and look at the sea lions from a distance and stay at least 50 feet away.