Some customers don't need a reservation to get into the swankiest restaurants.
A hungry sea lion pup, weighing only 20 pounds, sat itself down at The Marine Room, an upscale seafood restaurant in San Diego, California, Thursday morning. The executive chef, Bernard Guillas, snapped a few pictures of their special guest.
"He was a little bit early for his high tide breakfast reservation as it is this weekend on Sunday and Monday," Guillas said, jokingly on Facebook.
The cute baby sea lion certainly delighted the guests who were dining around it. However, the emaciated pup likely wandered into the restaurant because it smelled food.
Many sea lion pups have been greatly effected by changes in their environment and El Niño. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association has observed that the unusually warm water forces mother sea lions to hunt further out for prey -- leaving their pups (who are dependent on their milk) for longer periods of time.
This restaurant-goer is very skinny for a young sea lion. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association says normal weight, on average, is about 38 pounds.
After taking a few more pictures, the restaurant contacted a Sea World San Diego team to come and rescue the pup. According to CBS News, the team has rescued over 47 sea lions so far this year. The team is confident the sea lion will be completely rehabilitated.
Hopefully then, it can come back and make that brunch reservation.
