Debate continues over sea lions at La Jolla Cove

Why are people so ignorant and self-centered? Leave the sea lions alone!

If people get hurt it's their fault. It's not a Disneyland attraction it's nature.

It’s their home !!!! Leave them alone and move the dumb visitors !!!!!!

If the issue is the presence of Sea Lions, there are plenty other safer beaches around San Diego's coast. Our community prides itself on keeping nature within the city preserved. This is NOT LA or Venice beach.

Couldn't we observe the sea lions and seals from a safe distance? After all, these creatures are wild and will attack you without warning if provoked!

I honestly don't even know how the tourists can get past the smell

The cove “Belongs” to the sea lions. Either close off the area or Charge for the Access, with that funding pay for maintaining private security to enforce “Basic” safety.

So if an animal is in a tank or cage … people lose their mind about it. But if they’re out in the wild and we invade our home… no one bats an eye

I think they need to close the beach down and let the sea lions live their life there. The sea lions do not come to where we live. Why should we Not interfere with their place of living shut the beach down and let the sea lions have the beach

CA should enact a law to protect wildlife at the Cove during pupping season + City of SD should enact an ordinance to cite anyone violating the law. = SD can get $$$ to repair our roads! 🎉

As a san diegan, this has disturbed me to no end!!! You came here for vacation. This is their home!!! How would you like it if someone came into your house and started taking pictures of you and your kids? Second, why isn't the city of LA Jolla getting involved? They wanted to be their own city soo bad, but now it's the city of San Diego needs to deal with it (eye roll).

I was there about two years ago and seeing the people bothering the sea lions made me furious. I spoke to a young man in the lifeguard station and asked him if he could do anything; he told me he could not. So to anyone who says they "love the sea lions" then prove it by getting off their territory.

Tourists go home!

The levels of entitlement.

People are idiots and assholes. A person can be smart.

There is no debate. It is a violation of federal law to harass these animals. The city should be fined for willfully choosing to do nothing

It's their place. Humans need to just stay away. I use to snorkel there many years ago. Fence it off and not allow tourists to go on that beach. It's their home

The city keeps claiming they have rangers enforcing distance. I have never seen a ranger. If they actually cited and fined people everyday and were present this would stop.

I turned 34 this year and I remember going to the cove when I was small and I would rarely see the sea lions there, and would like going there outside of summertime. I don't really know as some people claim to when they first started coming here, but they don't stay around too long. The rest of the year is good for people to hang out here or snorkel, so I've heard, but I've never done snorkeling myself. Regardless, there are so many other beaches to see. As a local who has a modicum of respect for nature, I would leave when I did show up and started seeing sea lions, especially with babies. Never did I walk all the way up to the rocks much less on them at these times. I agree with the people who say the cove should be closed during the time they are with their pups. I saw another comment saying something about human habitat. People don't live in the cove. These people are all ridiculous, locals or tourists. Especially those trying to blame other locals and environmentalists for such issues, and the Tijuana River pollution too?! Go talk to CESPT & the Tijuana government, and still, what will happen that hasn't already in all this time? Tijuana's garbage water infrastructure is constantly getting repaired as it blows out in bits & pieces, but there's no overhaul planned ever, no sewage treatment planning... What do you expect? Miracles? I'm surprised no one has been attacked by the sea lions yet, but wouldn't stick around to find out. Simply leave the sea lions alone and come back another time, people. It's not difficult to observe from a distance either.

thousands of miles of other beaches but dammit, humans want this one, too!