San Diego plans to use water and noise to herd seals off La Jolla beach

 

Under a Superior Court court order to herd seals off the beach at the Children's Pool in La Jolla, the city plans to spray the mammals with water and blast loud noises at them, according to documents released Friday.

The city plans to use amplified noise, probably of barking dogs, seven days a week from 6 a.m. to sunset to convince the seals to move. A hearing is set for next week to see if the plan gets court approval.

A Superior Court judge has ordered the city to move the seals so the beach will again be clean enough for children and families. But dueling litigation in the federal court system has taken the opposite view: that the seals are a protected group under federal law meant to safeguard marine mammals.

More than 100 seals lounge on the beach on a sunny day, to the delight of tourists and seal advocates but to the dismay of those who feel the beach is for people. The city estimates that its spraying and noise-making plan, as well as water testing and seal counting, will cost $688,934 a year.

The City Council had hoped that the Legislature would get San Diego out of the dispute by amending the deed under which the beach was given to the city and eliminating the clause about the beach being for children. That would allow the cash-strapped city to walk away from an issue that is costly and politically divisive.

A bill to help the city has passed the state Senate and awaits debate in the Assembly.

-- Tony Perry  

Photo: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[beach lover]

The seal activists that have hassled beach goers should be sprayed with a hose!

[Kathy Skelly]

Seals need protection from human activity that disregards nature and disregards fiscal responsibility. Irresponsible behaviors cause all living creatures to hang by a thread, so of course we have to have legislation that protects wildlife as well as the young, the frail, and the elderly. Seems to me that voters also think the state is in a dire financial meltdown, so why spend $688K to fight nature? Unless poisoned or slaughtered, the seals will likely prevail and local government will be out the $688K. I hope the seals prevail before the courts and municipalities have been forced to disregard nature and waste financial resources.

[san diego origins]

I grew up learning how to snorkel at the Children's Cove in La Jolla, and as a result am a staunch advocate for protecting the ocean. But these 'animal rights' activists don't see the potential benefit to giving the Children's Cove back to the future generations of children that may learn to love the ocean through their times at this beach. There is no other place that I know of in San Diego where parent's can take their children, too young to master waves, to a swimming 'hole' safe enough to show them the diverse aquatic life of California.

[ea771]

really? don't we have enough beaches for us? that's the only place we can see the seals. but no we have to use that for ourselves also.

[KF]

To the first comment: you say there is no other place where parents can take their children "to show them the diverse aquatic life of California," yet you're okay with tormenting the "diverse aquatic life" with loud noises, spraying them with hoses, and scaring mothers and newborn pups away? You should be ashamed of yourself. Ask your children: do they want to see the seals driven away? Is this really about your children and the "future generations," or are you just selfish and want one more beach when San Diego has over 70 miles of usable beaches already at your disposal? Ask your kids if they want the seals scared away and see what they say.

[Babs]

Dozens of seals live happily on and near the rocks at the other end of the Cove. The tourists go there. They don't need the Children's Pool too. The Seal huggers don't ever mention the two dozen species that used to live in the protected tidepools. Limpets, urchins, star fish, hermit crabs to name a few have been killed off because of the seal feces. Teachers and parents used to bring children for hands on marine life education. The bully seals and seal huggers have wiped out a a wonderful natural reservoir of sea life. Nobody is sticking up for the small, delicate animals. Christine Kehoe should wake up and understand what she is killing off.

[Kimberly Ostlund]

My husband and I are from the Kansas City area and had the wonderful opportunity of visiting La Jolla last week. The highlight of our trip was to see the seals, in fact we came back a second day just to see the seals and their pups. We were looking forward to seeing them again on our next trip. It is very disappointing to learn that they will be driven away.

We also enjoy swimming, snorkeling and visiting the sea shore from Florida to California. It is very difficult to imagine that there is not room on one small beach, for this wonderful group of seals. Speaking as a vistor to your wonderful city,
I would pray good judgement would prevail and allow the seals to stay. I do not know of another location in the U.S. that allows an individual to observe the seals so closely.

[Pat]

I cannot believe how aggressive the seal activists are at the Children's Pool. One step on the beach, even with the seals 50 yards away on the far side of the beach, and these self-righteous activists are all over you! I went down the stairs, stood right there on the sand, and they absolutely would not leave me alone. They kept verbally harassing me, then they broke out a video recorder and stood in front of me, (closer to the seals than I) and took footage of me until I finally left in disgust.