Children's Pool
La Jolla harbor seal colony can use your help
Jun/08/14 09:59 AM
Recently, in a huge win for the seals, the San Diego City Council voted 6 to 3 in favor of annual seasonal closure of Casa Beach during Southern California’s harbor seal pupping season, from December 15th-May 15. This closure will deny the public access down onto the small beach during this time, as the beach stairs will be chained off at the middle landing. There will still be perfect viewing for the public from the stair landing, sidewalk above and the seawall.
Following pupping season, a rope barrier will be placed on the beach to provide some form of protection for the colony, but the beach will be legally open for use during the summer and fall months through a gap in the rope. In the photo above, a nursing mom has gone under the rope into the public zone on the small beach - evidence of the importance of preventing public access down onto the beach during pupping season in particular, while moms and pups are vulnerable to disturbance.
The controversy over the right for harbor seals to use this urban beach to rest, give birth and nurse their young has been going on for decades (see Seal Sitters dedicated webpage about Casa Beach). Some anti-seal protesters regularly harass and flush the seals from the beach, putting newborn and weaned pups in grave danger - insistent that the beach belongs to people, not seals - even though there are a number of nearby easy-access beaches for use by divers and swimmers.
This victory to close the beach steps is only a temporary step. The seasonal closure of the beach still needs to be approved by the California Coastal Commission. Approval must be granted by August to ensure access will be restricted during the coming winter/spring pupping season (for pupping seasons in Washington State, click here).
Please write a letter to the Coastal Commission requesting permanent annual seasonal closure of Casa Beach (also known as Children’s Beach) in La Jolla. A sample letter suggested by Seal Conservancy of San Diego (formerly La Jolla Friends of the Seals) is provided here. Please embellish with your personal thoughts about the need to Share the Shore with wildlife - and to grant this small sanctuary for marine mammals in La Jolla, while providing an unparalleled educational experience with an unobstructed view from above the beach. Seal Sitters MMSN would argue that the stair chain remain year-round to ensure the seal colony is not harassed and put in danger. However, having the steps chained during pupping season is a major victory for seal advocates in a decades-long battle. Even with the rope in place on the beach during the remainder of the season, a curious public is allowed to stand far too close to resting seals. All marine mammals are protected from harassment by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The harbor seals of Casa Beach need us to be their advocates! Please write the California Coastal Commission before August in order to be considered as testimony. For the latest news on this issue and a link to thank the 6 members of the San Diego City Council who supported the seals, visit the SCSD website.
Shamrock and other seal pups lucky to have caring public
Mar/20/13 08:51 AM
A small number of residents of this affluent San Diego neighborhood want the seals removed from the beach so it can become a public swimming beach - they regularly harass the seals. However, the majority of residents appreciate and want to preserve the rookery. Casa Beach is one of only four harbor seal rookeries left on the Southern California coast. There are many, many public beaches along the nearby coast for humans to enjoy, including one within walking distance of Casa Beach. Local wildlife advocates have been fighting for many frustrating years now to get local and federal governments to step up and protect the seals. Finally, it was agreed that a rope barrier would be established on the beach during pupping season, but that has not stopped the abuse.
Recently, a web cam was established on an old lifeguard tower to enable the public to view seals giving birth on the beach; harbor seal pupping season is in full swing in Southern California. The night vision camera recently caught two women beating and sitting on seals, many of them pregnant, and the incident has caused outrage. NOAA has not been yet been able to identify and prosecute the women.
Yesterday, the mayor of San Diego, Bob Filner, ordered the beach and sea wall closed to people at night. However, the public is still allowed down on the beach during the day, with harbor seals just a few feet away giving birth or nursing their young.
Seal Sitters has covered this story since our lead investigator visited the rookery in 2008, returning the following year as well to document moms and their pups. Read our complete coverage of this controversial situation on our website. And, please email Mayor Filner thanking him for closing the beach at night, but encouraging him to close Casa Beach (Children’s Pool) year-round to people and preserve this wildlife treasure. The public has an unparalled view from the sea wall and sidewalk above the beach.
Our West Seattle seal pups are so very lucky to have a stranding network (with a supportive NOAA Northwest office) and public committed to keeping them safe while on our shores. We know that undisturbed rest is critical to harbor seals’ survival and they will be protected under our communal watch.
UPDATE 3/21/13
For the latest news regarding this story, please visit our dedicated website page.
CNN has a feature story on the abuse at Casa Beach on their website today. Click on the link below:
(CNN) SEAL VIDEO BRINGS NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT ON ANIMAL ABUSE
