The first seal pup of the year was discovered over the past weekend at the Children’s Pool in La Jolla. The birth follows the first reported pup death of the year for the colony on Wednesday, Feb. 8. The pup was born premature, which is a natural occurrence among mammals, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which monitors the beach.
Seal activists claim low levels of harassment contributed to the premature death. The seal colony has been locked in the middle of a battle between environmentalists fighting to allow the seals to remain protected on the beach and pro-beach users who want to restore the area to its 1941 condition as a pool of calm water for children.