Californian yachties driven barking mad by sea lion siege

[emad]

By Andrew Gumbel in Newport Beach, California
Published: 09 October 2005

In most Californian coastal resorts, residents would kill for a regular glimpse of sea lions frolicking in the surf and barking with joy. In San Francisco and Monterey, they are tourist attractions. But in the conservative yachting town of Newport Beach, south of Los Angeles, the residents want to kill the sea lions. All summer, the sea lions have been clustering around the yachting harbour, flopping on boats to sunbathe, vomiting and defecating wherever they please and barking so much some residents say they haven't had a decent night's sleep for months. A month ago, 18 sea lions piled on to a vintage yacht, built in 1910, and sank it, to the fury of the absentee owner.

The boat-owners have petitioned the Harbour Commission, and the Harbour Commission has petitioned the City Council, but to no avail; the animals have been under special government protection since they came close to extinction 30 years ago, and nobody is allowed to touch them.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article318217.ece

[Beausoir]

1. They are terribly loud.

I wouldn't do anything to harm them, but they are incredibly obnoxious.

I visited Monterey last October and my hotel was right on the pier. For the first hour or so, they were kinda funny. Barking, bugging each other, invading the personal space of their dockmates.

After about 5 hours it started to drive me insane.

After 10 hours it was horrible!:crazy: I felt like the old Laurel and Hardy bit when Oliver goes crazy after working in a horn factory.

[BuelahWitch]

2. Oh boo effing hoo!

Let's hear it for the Sea Lion Anarchists! :bounce: :toast: :applause:

[Gormy Cuss]

3. Note to boat owners: sea lions happen

This story reminds me of one in the Northeast where residents of condos on a wharf in the middle of a working waterfront complained about the icky smells from the bait plant. The city council essentially laughed at them ---which part of WORKING waterfront did you not understand?

[guinivere]

4. Sorry. Can't raise any

sympathy for those people.

Did those yaaachters evah think that their yaaaachts are in the sea lions way, daahling.

Puke away, oh noble beasts.

[flvegan]

5. Next they'll want to bring in sharpshooters for the seagulls.

Talk about messy critters.

Screw the yacht owners. It's the animals' ocean, you're just floating on it.

[supernova]

6. ROFL!

A month ago, 18 sea lions piled on to a vintage yacht, built in 1910, and sank it, to the fury of the absentee owner.


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rof:

Sorry about the antique boat, but I would have loved to have seen that! :popcorn: