While summertime heats up in La Jolla, enticing tourists to the town, activists claim that the same visitors that boost the local economy may be responsible for the death Monday of a harbor seal pup, one of the area’s nationally known natural attractions.
“There were two seals on the beach and one happened to find its way to La Jolla Cove,” said Joe Cordaro, wildlife biologist with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Fisheries Service. “We don’t consider La Jolla Cove as a rookery so SeaWorld can pick it up without interfering with the colony or flushing them.”
But witnesses said the other pup wasn’t as fortunate.
“I’m aware of the one that died,” said Dave Koontz of SeaWorld. “We rescued one seal pup at the Cove.”
The harbor seal rookery is located at La Jolla’s Children’s Pool, a point of contention between members of the Animal Protection Rescue League’s Seal Watch and diving/swimming groups. Seal Watch member Marjane Aalam said last weekend was the worst she’s ever seen regarding the public disregarding wildlife on the beach.
“A 200-pound guy stepped on [the baby seal] and [the divers] were telling people it was OK to touch them,” Aalam said. “This was the worst I ever saw. There were children there and then a crowd on Sunday.”
According to Aalam, divers and their friends used a bullhorn to encourage people to use the beach, which the seals also use as a rookery. The City of San Diego has posted permanent signs alerting users that water is contaminated and that harassing marine mammals is a federal offense.
“I discovered one seal washed away by the waves around 6:30 on Sunday,” Aalam said. “Then I discovered its body at South Casa on the kelp beds Monday morning.”
SeaWorld rescued the other pup at 8:45 a.m. Monday, she said.
Koontz said SeaWorld picked up the other seal from La Jolla Cove, north of Children’s Pool.
Both Koontz and Cordaro said certain protocols were set in place for rescuing seals. Because of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), officials from SeaWorld must receive authorization from NOAA officials before rescuing a marine mammal, especially at Children’s Pool.
SeaWorld can’t rescue a pup at Children’s Pool if the rescue will flush other seals, Cordaro said, explaining that they need to wait until the beach is pretty clear and that’s rare. But other beaches, like La Jolla Cove, are different.
Aalam said she is concerned about the upcoming Fourth of July weekend crowds. But Cordaro said it is a federal violation to interfere with a harbor seal.
“The MMPA is still in force down there,” Cordaro said. “Our recommendation is that no one gets closer than 50 feet to a harbor seal. Any attempt to change their behavior is a violation.”
Regarding the dead seal pup, Cordaro said that although a federal law was broken, it is a local problem. Until evidence is handed to authorities, they continue to play hot potato regarding which organization must enforce the laws.
“We don’t have any supporting information. It’s up to the city to come to the forefront. Our agency has said that this is a local problem,” Cordaro said. “It’s a federal law but a local problem.”
Aalam said their group called law enforcement, with no results.
The previous weekend, Craig Decker, of Spike and Mike’s Festival of Animation, said he witnessed a baby seal “injured or ill “¦ and people were going up to it and kids were throwing sand at it.”
“When credible information comes in that someone stepped on the seal, then I would expect our enforcement agents to step in,” Cordaro said.
Decker said he spent the entire weekend above the beach observing the scene and was “appalled,” especially by men who planted themselves on the beach next to the seals, keeping them at sea.
Local diver John Leek was on the beach last weekend and said he didn’t witness anyone step on the pup.
“It’s just a funny little thing that we do for fun,” Leek said. “On Saturday a baby seal marched up to people sitting on the beach there. In fact, I had to talk to him because I had a sign up there saying ‘maintain a 20-feet distance.'”
Leek said that when a large elephant seal hauled onto the sand, the divers surrounded the mammal with traffic cones.
“A big old one came out and sat in between the chairs and wouldn’t move “¦ and so our gang put traffic cones around him,” Leek said. “He didn’t care, he just took his nap … the activists were claiming he was sick. I’m not a veterinarian, but there’s a lot of urban myths that spring up there.”
For info about water quality, go to www.beaches911.org. For more information about the MMPA, go to www.nmfs.noaa.gov.