May Danny rest in the arms of the angels (**)

“This seawall and other piers, jetties, and seawalls to the north and south greatly effect the natural shifting of coastal sand. Due to this naturally occurring pocket beaches are diminished in numbers and the beaches suitable for marine wildlife (that aren’t overwhelmed with humans) are also greatly diminished.”

This is not true because of the inclusion the adjective “greatly”. There are just a few jetties and seawalls in San Diego; yes they have the potential to impact the disposition of sand BUT HARBOR SEALS DO NOT REQUIRE sandy beaches. They really don’t. There is no crisis of habitat here.

Here is the website that was the dead link previously: http://www.californiacoastline.org/

You can see for yourself TONS of habitat for harbor seals. Let’s try that specific link again: http://www.californiacoastline.org/cgi-bin/image.cgi?image=200603152&mode=big&lastmode=timecompare&flags=0&year=2006

(its on the border of laguna/newport beach)

And then you also say, “Your photo is lovely but what you failed to point out is that at a higher tide or in a period of larger ocean swell this rare pocket beach would not be an option for the seals pictured”

Well, I’m not too sure this is the case. I have never seen this location in those conditions you described. I doubt you have as well. Where do you suppose those seals go when such an event happens? Do they drown? I think you are not giving the seals enough credit for their resilience. They are marine mammals. They can endure long periods in the or on “uncomfortable” rocks.

Tim, it boils down to this: You are an animal rights activist. You place a higher value on an animal’s emotional state/well being than does the average person or the people who use Children’s Pool. You are on the fringe. Your position is unreasonable. There are also bigger fish to fry. Why don’t you fight for the survival of truly endangered species instead of harassing people who use a beach to the annoyance of a few harbor seals?

It is interesting that in our release we claimed that the seals are being harassed and not a single person on your side of the issue has been at odds with that statement. Instead you want to bicker about what we called the beach.

Built in 1931, the seawall replaced the natural coastline in this part of La Jolla which was known as Seal Rock. This seawall and other piers, jetties, and seawalls to the north and south greatly effect the natural shifting of coastal sand. Due to this naturally occurring pocket beaches are diminished in numbers and the beaches suitable for marine wildlife (that aren’t overwhelmed with humans) are also greatly diminished.

Your photo is lovely but what you failed to point out is that at a higher tide or in a period of larger ocean swell this rare pocket beach would not be an option for the seals pictured. The, albeit, unnaturally occurring beach at the seawall in La Jolla is a safe suitable option for the seals under all ocean conditions. This is why it so important.

Your other link is a dead link so I can’t comment on what you are referring to. I would like to ask you to look for photos of the other dozens of beaches upon which seals cannot give birth, nurse young, or simply lay in the sun but humans could easily drink beer and play frisbee on in the La Jolla area.

See you in La Jolla.

thanks

“Casa Cove, also known as “baby beach” by locals has served as a rookery for harbor seals since the construction of an artificial sea wall by the Scripps family in the 1930s. ”

—The sea wall was formed as to create a “Children’s Pool” (not “baby beach”) and up until this day still serves that purpose. It has a long history of being a beach enjoyed by humans, a beach that DID NOT EXIST until the creation of the sea wall. There *may* have been a rookery at this location on offshore rocks before the seawall was built, but after the construction of the sea wall, such a rookery DID NOT EXIST at this site despite what your article claims. It is only until the mid 1990s that harbor seals were actually observed giving birth on this beach. LATER, when it was established it was regularly used for pupping, was it given the title of “rookery” by NMFS in the early 2000′s.

“Due to development and human intrusions on the coast the nearest established rookeries for harbor seals are roughly 100 miles to the north and south of Casa Cove thus limiting the harbor seal’s ability to breed, nurse, and raise their young.” says Carly Slawson a volunteer with APRL’s SealWatch.”

Then of course, we can count on SealWatch and their volunteers to say such ridiculous things as Carly has. I don’t think these people get out of the house much!? Perhaps just 5-10% of our coast is developed with “human intrusions”. But wait a minute…. isn’t the sea wall that provides the sheltered beach for the seals at Children’s Pool a “human intrusion and development”? You guys can’t have it both ways, but it fits in well with your anti- human narrative. That’s right, the current rookery at Children’s Pool WOULD NOT EXIST without the “human intrusion and development” to our coast. Irony, is it not?

Furthermore, sealwatch volunteer Carly says nearest rookeries (implying that is the only habitat available) are “roughly 100 miles to the north and south…”.

If they were inquisitive, or not motivated by securing monetary donations, SealWatch might make itself aware of another rookery just 10 miles south of “Casa cove” that hosts dozens of seals and quite a few pups, thus making it a rookery: http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/225842_10150226941681023_712101022_9128651_3358393_n.jpg

And all this talk of “lack of habitat” makes ME inquisitive. So I logged on to this website: http://www.californiacoastline.org/ which documents hundreds of miles of California coastline through aerial photos. And I found TONS of harbor seal habitat. In fact, I found a seal haulout that NOAA even missed in their aerial counts. Wow, I guess anyone can be a marine mammal biologist!

http://www.large.images.californiacoastline.org/images/2006/large/2/200603152.JPG Look at those glistening beauties hauled out on the rock on the bottom center of the page!

Moderator, if you are going to not approve or delete this comment, you are voting against truth. Again, I will respect your opinions, but please don’t tolerate falsehoods being disseminated to the public through your website. Let people free their minds and make their own decisions based upon the facts.