Sea Lion Gate-Crashes Family Picnic: 'She Took Over'

A peaceful beach picnic in New Zealand was interrupted by an unexpected guest when a curious sea lion lumbered over to investigate.

On Monday, Alaina Gillies, her husband, Nathan, and 14-year-old son Cameron were relaxing and enjoying a meal on Brighton Beach when the sea lion showed up. "The sea lion was right beside my husband, so he quickly jumped off the picnic blanket," Gillies told the Otago Daily Times. "She took over and had a great old time."

The sea lion is believed to be a regularly spotted creature named Paige. New Zealand sea lions, previously known as Hooker's sea lions, are one of the rarest species of sea lions in the world. There are thought to be only around 12,000 individuals of this species. By contrast, there are an estimated 300,000 California sea lions.

Six species of sea lions exist today after the Japanese sea lion went extinct in the 1970s because of commercial hunting. The remaining six are the Steller's sea lion, California sea lion, South American sea lion, Australian sea lion, Galápagos sea lion and New Zealand sea lion. The latter three are listed as endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.

New Zealand sea lions can grow to 11.5 feet long. Their main breeding population declined by around 50 percent between 2000 and 2015. The main threats facing this species include death from being caught as bycatch in commercial fishing, as well as a lack of food and disease.

Paige herself had to be removed from several roads in recent months, according to Department of Conservation biodiversity ranger Jim Fyfe.

"[She's] definitely been exploring the neighborhood of Ocean View and Brighton quite extensively this spring," Fyfe told the Otago Daily Times.

Gillies said she thinks the sea lion was attracted by the smell of the family's picnic food.

"She had her nose in my son's shoe at one point. I was worried she was going to eat it.... It was very brave to put her nose into a teenage boy's shoe," she said.

Paige did not eat anything at the picnic, however, and after a quick nap, she returned to the ocean.

The family was unharmed by the interaction, keeping well away from Paige during her visit. Sea lions rarely attack humans but have been known to inflict injuries when threatened or protecting their young. There have been several cases of California sea lions biting swimmers and boaters.

However, sea lions have also been seen helping humans. One sea lion assisted a man who had jumped off San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, helping him stay afloat until the Coast Guard arrived.

The Gillies family was left surprised and awestruck by their marine encounter. "It definitely made an exciting beach picnic, that's for sure," Gillies said.

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