It seems that children and adults have firm ideas about saving the harbour seals of La Jolla. At a rally on Sunday, November 23rd, about twenty five children from Kids for Peace, along with many of their parents joined with members of the ‘Save Our San Diego Seals “ coalition at Casa Beach to let their voice be publically heard.
The children sang an original song, written for the occasion, exclaiming that the seals were beautiful and needed our protection. While arranged in rows against the backdrop of about forty seals lying on the beach basking in the afternoon sun, the children’s passion rang out crystal clear.
After the song, La Jolla Friends of the Seals docent Jerry Horna led the group out to the seawall and allowed the children to see the sleeping seals up close, while still keeping the twenty-five foot separation, a distance that seals are most comfortable with. The children held up home made posters they had colored themselves, carrying the message to “Save Our Seals” and “Kids love the seals and don’t want to swim here”. No seals were “flushed” or sent fleeing back into the water, even with the large crowd standing along the seawall.
Jerry emphasized to them that the seals have been using this specific location long before the seawall was built, and that those born here instinctively return or never really leave. The most interesting fact is that the colony has reached a maximum carrying capacity (comfortable number supported by the resources)of about two hundred, and have stayed at that number for several years.
Upon their return to the rally point, the children all signed a petition to the San Diego City Council declaring their wish that the council improve on their efforts to preserve this rookery and beach as a safe haul-out site for the colony. Plans are now underway for the children to make a presentation of the petition at a January session of the council. Members of the coalition handed out flyers to the public urging them to contact their councilperson with the same message.
The children sang an original song, written for the occasion, exclaiming that the seals were beautiful and needed our protection. While arranged in rows against the backdrop of about forty seals lying on the beach basking in the afternoon sun, the children’s passion rang out crystal clear.
After the song, La Jolla Friends of the Seals docent Jerry Horna led the group out to the seawall and allowed the children to see the sleeping seals up close, while still keeping the twenty-five foot separation, a distance that seals are most comfortable with. The children held up home made posters they had colored themselves, carrying the message to “Save Our Seals” and “Kids love the seals and don’t want to swim here”. No seals were “flushed” or sent fleeing back into the water, even with the large crowd standing along the seawall.
Jerry emphasized to them that the seals have been using this specific location long before the seawall was built, and that those born here instinctively return or never really leave. The most interesting fact is that the colony has reached a maximum carrying capacity (comfortable number supported by the resources)of about two hundred, and have stayed at that number for several years.
Upon their return to the rally point, the children all signed a petition to the San Diego City Council declaring their wish that the council improve on their efforts to preserve this rookery and beach as a safe haul-out site for the colony. Plans are now underway for the children to make a presentation of the petition at a January session of the council. Members of the coalition handed out flyers to the public urging them to contact their councilperson with the same message.
-Ellen Shively
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