Newport Beach in Southern California is a popular destination for tourists, with many restaurants along the harbor offering various options. About a week ago, a restaurant in Newport Beach welcomed a baby seal. The restaurant staff jokingly remarked that the baby seal could not be served alcoholic beverages due to the lack of identification, according to the law.
Visitors at the restaurant reported that the baby seal was first seen wandering on the beach around noon, then hopped across the parking lot and into the restaurant.
Reports indicate that it is rare for a baby seal to run into a restaurant. The restaurant staff surrounded the baby seal with chairs to prevent customers from disturbing it and to isolate the seal to avoid any bites. Subsequently, the restaurant notified animal conservation agencies to take care of the baby seal and to return it to the ocean at an appropriate time.
In Orange County, where Newport Beach is located, seal watching has become increasingly common. Experts point out that rising sea temperatures have led to more seals either venturing deeper into the ocean or migrating towards the coast, which also means that seal mothers must spend more time searching for food, resulting in less time caring for their pups.