Seals at Children’s Pool/Casa Beach

Mission Statement

  1.  To preserve the La Jolla Harbor Seal and Sea Lion Rookeries for ecological, educational, scientific, historic, and scenic opportunities.

  2.  To create and administer a volunteer docent program which provides environmental education for the public and promotes safe viewing of our local harbor seal and sea lion colonies.

Seal Society of San Diego

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Seal pup nursing

Sea lion mother and pup

History

2015: The Seal Society was formed by docent volunteers previously involved in La Jolla Friends of the Seals (LJFS). LJFS had advocated the closure of Casa Beach/Children’s Pool, where seals to give birth to their pups, culminating in the city of San Diego ordering the closure of the beach during pupping season in 2014.

2017: the Seal Society was invited to partner with the Sierra Club of San Diego and became the Sierra Club Seal Society.

2019: the Sierra Club Seal Society’s interest expanded to include the Sea Lion Rookery at Pt. La Jolla and Boomer’s beach.

2022: the closure of the sea lion rookery at Point La Jolla for pupping season from May 1st to October 31st was secured by working with the City of San Diego and the California Coastal Commission.

2023: Year round closure of Point La Jolla was secured to protect the sea lion colony where females and pups nurse year round.

2024: Sierra Club Seal Society is advocating for better protection of sea lion pups born in La Jolla Cove by a share the shore approach preserving access while keeping the public at safe distances.

 

Both the main seal and sea lion rookeries can now be viewed safely without disturbing the moms and pups, and visitors come from all around the world to view this incredible sight!

 

Join us as a volunteer docent to help us educate the visiting public about these amazing marine mammals.

Our Docents share shifts at the beach to provide information to visitors about the seals in their natural habitat, educate on how to view the animals safely and to report incidents relating to harassment. Docents also offer ongoing formal educational presentations at many public venues. The Sierra Club Seal Society works with the media and authorities to improve the conditions for the seals and sea lions, especially during pupping season when they are most vulnerable.