As an elementary educator, naturalist and wildlife rehabilitator, I am very disheartened by the treatment of La Jolla’s harbor seal colony at Casa Beach.
A previous resident of La Jolla for over five years, I recently revisited the area to witness approximately 30 harbor seals adrift near the shore of Casa Beach, very obviously waiting to haul out to rest. This simple act was impossible for them to complete due to the beach chairs and umbrellas installed on the beach by several residents. Additionally, the beach was flooded with tourists, most unaware that their presence further stresses the animals.
Working for many years as a public educator, specifically on environmental, humane and wildlife issues, I feel that I am able to understand the varied perspectives that surround the controversy at Casa Beach.
While I realize fully that citizens have a constitutional right to public land access, I strongly feel that it is the responsibility of the La Jolla city council, and the City of San Diego, to take an ethical stance on this issue. Over 500 miles of coastline exist in San Diego, all available to the public for recreational purposes. Surely, those residents and beachgoers throughout La Jolla and San Diego don’t need to occupy a space of sand so tiny as Casa Beach.
Further, the harbor seal colony at Casa Beach is the only one of its kind in Southern California. There should be no question as to whether or not the seals should be “allowed” to occupy this beach.
During my visit on June 28, 2008, in the presence of a large crowd gathered at the La Jolla Friends of the Seals booth, I placed a call to the National Marine Fisheries Service to professionally and calmly voice my concerns, and the concerns of those around me. I was met with an irate staff member who advised me (in a voice loud enough that those around me could hear) that she is aware of the situation and has no time for it; also, “if we don’t like it, we could all just go home.” Saddened, we all turned back to the ocean to watch as seal pups struggled against the surf, their obviously stressed parents trying desperately to find an opening clear of umbrellas, beach chairs and humans to come in to rest.
Despite the encroaching human development throughout Southern California, San Diego has remained one of the 10 most biologically diverse areas in the entire country. Wildlife has adapted to surviving in canyons fragmented by freeways and coastal habitat divided by condominiums and cliffside homes.
Unfortunately, Casa Beach is not large enough to accommodate both humans and a harbor seal colony comfortably. A compromise needs to be reached in the best interests of all involved. The area is critical to the survival of this small colony (potentially only 200 seals). Humans can clearly survive without occupying this area. Presence of the seals not only benefits their survival, but is also an incredible educational experience for those coming to see them. The great benefit is that when given the proper space, the seals can still be observed enjoying their habitat from the pier and walkways above them, without exhibiting stress.
I have had the great fortune to work closely with wildlife as a rehabilitator, and to participate in educational programs that have allowed me to observe wild animals in their natural habitats. Many people have not had such opportunities, and love to visit Casa Beach to watch wild harbor seals basking in the sun, scratching themselves with their flippers and inching their way along the sand. We are all so fortunate to have the chance to witness wild animal behavior at such close range.
Children especially enjoy watching the seals, and become so excited at even the simplest of their movements in the water and on the beach. This experience alone could only encourage them to be more responsible, caring individuals, showing respect to both people and animals/nature. The experience of coming to see the seals and instead seeing people on the beach preventing the seals from coming ashore will instead send children the message that is acceptable to be disrespectful to the needs of wildlife. During my visit, I heard a little girl ask her mother, “Why are those people so close to the seals? Don’t they know they’re trying to sleep?” Children are very perceptive; their sensitivity to other beings is beautiful and should always be encouraged.
None of the people who visit Casa Beach want to look down to see a few of the locals lounging in their beach chairs under flapping umbrellas, which are very daunting to timid harbor seals. As this has been going on for years, I am left to think that La Jolla and San Diego are more in support of those with overblown egos seeking to further demonstrate their self-importance than the very wildlife that draws so many visitors to these areas each day.
The majority of people want the seals to regain full access of this vital part of their habitat, Casa Beach. Why are the misguided and ignorant intentions of a small few preventing this from happening? One longtime La Jolla resident, well into his 70s, approached me after my phone call to the National Marine Fisheries Service and expressed his deep concern over the men on the beach who were preventing the seals from hauling out. In his words, “Ego is the only thing standing between survival of these seals and the beach.”
One resident in favor of keeping seals off the beach has even employed his own personal security guard. I learned of several situations where he has had violent physical contact with those trying to convince him to remove himself from Casa Beach. While I was there, he was filming all of us standing on the walkway above the beach, laughing and taunting people to come down to get a closer look. This behavior is not only extremely immature, but disgraceful. It is unacceptable that a city so beautiful, populated with so many nature enthusiasts, is allowing such people to continue for any length of time to create a negative image of city policies and interests.
As a wildlife rehabilitator, I became very familiar with issues of public health and the ocean environment. Many times over the years, the rehabilitation organization I worked for advised people not to go into the ocean during certain periods, as the water was highly toxic ” from human pollutants (based on blood work taken on stranded gulls beached in San Diego due to toxic blood levels).
Natural fecal waste of seals, birds and other marine creatures that is inevitably present in waters surrounding Casa Beach is essential to enriching kelp beds and maintaining ecological balance. If the area is designated as a seal preserve, water pollution will not be an issue. If people continue to inhabit the beach, water pollution will definitely be an issue.
I greatly appreciate your time and consideration of my comments. I look forward to the possibility that you will use your incredible influence throughout San Diego to continue raising awareness of this issue in support of these amazing animals, so that they can one day soon live the simple life they are most desperately struggling to maintain at their home, Casa Beach.
” Theresa Kolpakova is an educator who focuses on nature programs and humane education for children. She lived in La Jolla for five years and was active with Project Wildlife and the Helen Woodward Animal Center. She is currently a resident of West Newton, Mass., where she works with a Boston-area wildlife sanctuary under the auspices of the Audubon Society.