Man cut head off dead sea lion on California beach, feds say. Reward offered

UPDATE: On Sept. 30, 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries updated its news release to say “The individual has been located, and it was determined that no marine mammal parts were removed from the beach. We thank the public for their help and concern in this matter.”

No other information was provided.

The original story is below:

Someone cut the head off a dead sea lion on a Northern California beach, and federal fisheries officials would like to know who.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries is offering a $20,000 reward for information on the incident on Point Pinos Beach in Pacific Grove at about 8:40 p.m. July 27, the agency said in a Monday, Sept. 29, news release.

A man was seen decapitating a dead sea lion on the beach, putting the head in a “zip-style plastic bag” and driving off in a late-model white Cadillac Escalade, authorities said.

The sea lion was already dead and its cause of death remains unknown, authorities said.

“Harassing, harming, killing or feeding sea lions is prohibited under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as is collecting marine mammal protected species parts,” the agency said.

Criminal violations can be punished by up to 1 year in jail and up to $100,000 in fines, officials said.

Investigators ask anyone with information to call the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at 800-853-1964.

Pacific Grove is just west of Monterey, which is about a 120-mile drive south from San Francisco.

Male California sea lions can reach up to 7.5 feet long and weigh up to 700 pounds, according to the NOAA. They are a protected species.

This story was originally published September 29, 2025 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Man cut head off dead sea lion on California beach, feds say. Reward offered."