When the harbor seals
started moving into the kids' beach play area, some people (not
all) thought they should be protected and allowed to stake out
the beach unfettered. In the past several years there have been
ropes placed on the beach, harassment of people and harbor
seals, video cameras documenting misdeeds, and much strife.
Recently the pro-harbor seal group won a victory in December
2013 when San Diego City Council majority voted to close off the
beach to humans during the harbor seal winter molting. Their
vote is currently an advisory.
Now there's a stench from sea mammals and bird poop--a stench so
bad that diner's at nearby outdoor patios and guests at the
famed La Valencia Hotel are bailing out. Can you imagine
planning the perfect outdoor wedding overlooking the Pacific
Ocean and having to hold your breath because of the stink?
That's pretty much what's happening.
An attorney who fought to save the harbor seals says that it's
not them, it's encroaching sea lions that are stinking the place
up at La Cove north of Children's Pool. He's apparently trying
to help businesses to end practices of protecting sea lions (not
the harbor seals.) This drama has been going on for several
decades and its twists & turns are really difficult to write
about accurately. There's one thing for sure, it stinks! A
reporter on a Los Angeles news station added her own "two cents"
to the story she reported on about the smell. She said she went
to La Jolla recently and it smelled pretty bad. Merchants
say it's a health menace. Tourists say it stinks--enough to
leave.