A second popular La Jolla beach has now been closed to the public for part of the year. The California Coastal Commission voted unanimously on April 8 to grant the City’s request to close Point La Jolla, where sea lions pup, from May 1 to Oct. 31 to protect the marine mammals for the next seven years.
The Coastal Commission actually went above and beyond the City’s original request, which was to close Point La Jolla between La Jolla Cove and Boomer beaches from May 25 to Sept. 15.
Children’s Pool beach nearby, where harbor seals pup, has been closed to the public with a guideline rope since 2014 during the pinniped’s Dec. 15 to May 15 pupping season.
The City last summer successfully secured a temporary emergency closure of a portion of Point La Jolla at Ellen Scripps Browning Park from Aug. 11 to Sept. 15. That measure was to protect the sea lion rookery there from tourists during the annual sea lion pupping season. The temporary closure came in response to continuing reports by Sierra Club docents that human encroachment was threatening sea lions and their offspring.
“This plan protects visitors and wildlife alike,” said District 1 Councilmember Joe LaCava, who represents La Jolla. “The Commission’s approval maintains recreational access to the ocean and ensures the public can continue to enjoy sea lions and their pups from a safe distance. It is because of the robust public input we received that we were able to forge a future that reflects the needs of the community, from body surfers to sea lions.”
The Sierra Club San Diego Chapter was elated by the Coastal Commission’s decision to close Point La Jolla for six months of the year, while La Jolla beach-access proponents were outraged by it.
“Yet another beach is about to be closed to the public,” said Ken Hunrichs, spokesperson for Friends of the Children’s Pool, a local group lobbying to protect beaches and coastal access for future generations. “The real question that needs a close look is how a fringe group from the Sierra Club gained so much influence over City policy to again close another beach.”
The following statement was released by beach-access proponents in response to the Coastal Commission’s decision on extending sea lion protections: “The Commission has a history of failing to uphold the coastal-access protections in the Coastal Act. The Commission extended the time and size of the closure beyond what the City requested. City staff folded when a fringe group associated with the Sierra Club made a pitch to close the entire Point La Jolla and Boomer Beach with their expressed hope of making that closure permanent and year-round.
“The result is another closed beach from May through October for the next seven years. The City was also quite happy to commit to additional ranger staff and nighttime security camera monitoring at a cost to taxpayers of millions of dollars over the next seven years at least.”
“Even more troubling was the failure of City officials to stand up for a promised compromise,” continued the pro-beach access statement. “That compromise worked out with the City and ocean-access advocates, fishing enthusiasts, and others was to allow limited shoreline access to South Boomer Beach. It was quickly dismissed, and Boomer Beach will be inaccessible except by water or steep coastal cliff descent. Residents and visitors who actually access the ocean at Boomer Beach and Point La Jolla were cast aside as that area of Scripps Park joins the Children’s Pool as a marine mammal reserve.”
Ocean-protection advocates argued the Coastal Commission did what was right – and necessary – to protect sea lions threatened by co-existence with humans.
“The Sierra Club San Diego Chapter and the Sierra Club Seal Society are pleased with the Coastal Commission’s decision and conditional requirements for San Diego’s Coastal Development Permit for the seasonal closure of the sea lion rookery at Point La Jolla and Boomer Beach,” said Robyn Davidoff, Seal Society chair. “The commissioner’s based their decision on science, facts, experts, and photo and video documentation to provide adequate protections for sea lions during their birthing, mating and pups-vulnerable stage of life.”
Added Davidoff: “We are thrilled that the Commission and the City agreed to the extended seasonal closure dates of May 1-Oct. 31 and use the boundaries from last year’s Emergency Temporary Closure. This boundary reduced the number of sea lion harassments, while providing ocean access using the historic trail. The requirement for rangers to be staffed seven days a week will be a huge improvement in reducing harassment. We can’t wait as visitors, up to 300 per hour, continue to enter the rookery and disturb the sea lions who are eight months pregnant out of a nine-month pregnancy. Unfortunately, too many people get too close to the moms.”
