A grassroots environmental organization that monitors San Diego's La Jolla Cove is calling for action after they say several sea lion pups were recently found dead in a week, continuing an ongoing debate about the cohabitation of sea life and humans in San Diego's coastal city.
The Sierra Club shared photos with NBC 7 of what appears to be at least two deceased sea lion pups at the cove. One photo shows a dead sea lion pup wedged between two rocks with what appears to be a dead lobster on top of its head. The other shows a dead pup sprawled across the shore, smiling visitors pointing and taking photos feet away from the animal's body.
NOAA nor SeaWorld could confirm the deaths; SeaWorld typically refers callers reporting dead sealife to NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center. A NOAA spokesperson said their agency doesn't respond to dead sea lions in San Diego.
Richard Miller, director of the San Diego Chapter of the Sierra Club, believes the deaths were human-caused, which prompted his agency to call on the city to take action.
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"The cause of these newborn pups’ deaths is disturbing and point to the continued mistreatment and harassment of the pups born in La Jolla Cove and a lack of proper oversight and management of wildlife and people," Miller said in a written statement.
Robyn Davidoff, Chair of the Seal Society at the Sierra Club, told NBC 7 that this number of deaths in such a short time is unusual.
"We have a natural control group just around the corner at Point La Jolla and Boomer Beach where we have over 44 sea lion pups, and that area is closed now year-round and we didn't see that kind of mortality within that short period of time," Davidoff said.
"So we went from nine pups at the Cove down to about three or four in a matter of six days," according to Davidoff.
SeaWorld said it would be hard to determine the sea lions' causes of death without a necropsy. NOAA said it is not uncommon for some sea lion pups to die each year.
The Sierra Club's statement asked the city to add measures to separate humans from sea lion pups at the popular breeding ground that has become one of the city's largest tourist attractions. He also called for an investigation into the deaths by NOAA Fisheries, the federal marine wildlife organization.
Council Member Joe LaCava, who represents San Diego's District 1, which encompasses La Jolla, said he is working on a management plan for the cove but also has a duty to ensure public access to the beach and water.
"I continue to work with multiple city departments on the management of the Cove. Clearly, too many visitors crowd the beach and the stairs, not for coastal access or to reach the water, but to observe the sea lions. Worse, they often get too close, putting themselves and their children at risk.
"As I have stated since the closure of Point La Jolla, I have a bright line to ensure continued unfettered public access to the beach and waters of La Jolla Cove," the statement read, in part.
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The Sierra Club says additional measures should be taken, like creating a visible barrier on the beach to allow for public viewing; creating signs directly on the beach to educate the public; and to temporarily close the stairs to the beach when pups are close by and when lifeguards are not present. They also want California Park Rangers present at the cove. They hope these measures will help keep the beach safe and open for both humans and animals.
Seal Society docents are often at the Cove, reminding people to stay back and away from the animals, for the safety of people and animals. But official park rangers are needed to protect the sea lions, Davidoff says, while the lifeguards work to keep people safe.
"We just think that what's happening, because we spend a lot of time down there educating the public and asking people to step back, is that basically they're being loved to death. People are trying to touch them, they're taking photos next to them, they're separating the moms and the pups, so they're not able to nurse and it's just become out of control," Davidoff told NBC 7.
Sea lions can weigh up to 800 pounds, have long pointed teeth and can be territorial and protective of pups.
LaCava said the city has some mitigation measures at its disposal, including signage, intervention by park rangers, education through tourism channels and work with community partners. He did not say whether the measures have already been implemented.
"I want visitors to enjoy the unique opportunity of watching wildlife in an urban setting, and the public's access to the La Jolla Cove beach and waters must always come first," LaCava said.
The council, with a strong backing from Councilmember LaCava, voted last year to close Boomer Beach Point La Jolla -- a popular rookery just around the corner from La Jolla Cove -- year-round to visitors. Visitors still have limited access to the area between the Children's Pool and La Jolla Cove.
A spokesperson for NOAA said they encourage visitors to stay a safe distance from animals and encourage any conversations that promote that goal.
Some groups have recently called for sea lions to be removed from the cove, altogether. Bob Evans, the president of La Jolla Parks and Beaches, a community advisory group to the city of San Diego, told NBC 7 last week that he wants the sea lions removed.
"We're right in the middle of summer season, and every day that goes by is a threat to human or wildlife, and every day we're losing part of the beach,” Evans said. "We want the sea lions off the beach. We want it for humans only."
Carol Toye with the Sierra Club Seal Society says the solution is not so simple.
She said the seals and sea lions choose that location for breeding and that under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, these animals have the right to be protected from harassment.
"Unfortunately, we don't speak 'sea lion,' and we can't explain that they aren't safe in this area," Toye said. "We're not advocating for closure of this area. We know that it's used extensively by swimmers, snorkelers and scuba divers, but we do feel that it does need to be better managed."
