My wife and I frequently visit the Children’s Pool beach in La Jolla to observe the harbor seals and talk to others about them. In our opinion, this has been the worst summer for seal harassment since we moved to La Jolla eight years ago. Lots of visitors enthusiastically view and snap photos of seals at the Children’s Pool. However, dangers lurk of which many seem unaware. The [newly-implemented] ranger system is not working for the following reasons: The ranger cannot be at Casa Beach all the time or be everywhere simultaneously. So far, it appears the ranger has been present just a few hours a week. A rope barrier is essential to show the public what a “safe distance” from the seals is. A rope will make the ranger’s job much easier. A rope also has the advantage of being present 24/7. Adequate signage is also needed on Casa Beach to inform the public of the potential dangers. We illustrate our points from recent personal observations. For instance, on Wednesday, July 21 at about 2:30 p.m., we saw about a dozen people just a few feet from two large seals resting on the rocky ledge below the seawall. One approached a seal to take a picture and lost her balance on the rock. This prompted the seal to quickly snap and growl at her. Fortunately, [the woman] backed away in time. Most people ran off the rock. The rocky ledge is also slippery. We saw clear evidence of this on Friday, July 30. Two young men slipped on the rock and injured themselves. One injured his toe and knee and was sure he had sprained his ankle. He needed help getting off the beach. The other slipped and nearly fell in the water. He also injured his knee and needed help getting off the rock. Parents also need to be aware of the potential risks to their children when playing in sand packed with seal feces. We frequently see children throw sand at one another. The city’s signs do not mention the danger of seal feces in the sand. On Sunday, Aug. 1, we visited the Pool twice. At 1:45 p.m., we saw several dozen people on the beach, but the ranger was not present. We returned at 4:30 p.m. and saw the ranger, along with about 75 people on the beach. The ranger appeared to be having a difficult time keeping the people a safe distance from a seal on the beach. In fact, some people were just a few feet from it. A girl about 2 years old ran in back of the seal, inches away, without the ranger seeing her. An accident is waiting to happen. The city needs to install sufficient prominent signs on the beach clearly disclosing the dangers. A rope barrier is also essential to indicate what a “safe distance” is. By himself, the ranger cannot possibly do an adequate job at all hours of the day and night. — Albert J. Fredman is a resident of La Jolla.