La Jolla Cove

La Jolla Cove is a small, picturesque cove and beach that is surrounded by cliffs in La Jolla, San Diego, California. The Cove is protected as part of a marine reserve; underwater it is very rich in marine life, and is popular with snorkelers, swimmers and scuba divers.

A view of La Jolla Cove, December 2018

The swells that often roll in from the open ocean here can be rather large and strong, and so being in the water at the Cove is not always suitable for people who do not have good water skills. The water temperature is also often a little colder than the average San Diego beach, and the beach has the disadvantage that the dry sand area is very small at high tide. In contrast, during very low tides, a lot of interesting tide pools are revealed at the Cove.

California sea lions can be found in the waters of the Cove and hauling out, temporarily leaving the water to rest on its beaches, cliffs, and bluffs. Similar to the events of the Pacific harbor seals at Children's Pool Beach, there is controversy surrounding their presence.

Access
Seagulls at La Jolla Cove are associated with foul odor and unsafe swimming conditions.

Free public parking is extremely limited and is all on-street; there are also paid parking garages in the area. From the park at the top of the Cove, there are a few steps down on each side to a "gallery" area with a lot of benches. This gallery includes the entrance to the lifeguard station, where the lifeguard's chalkboard shows useful information updated throughout the day. From the gallery level there are two steep sets of concrete steps that lead down to the beach itself, although visitors often have to step on rocks to get all the way down to the sand.

Noxious odors

Prospective visitors should be aware that the air throughout the La Jolla Cove area is filled with the odor of seal and bird feces. The stench can be especially offensive on the warmest days in the summer.[1][2][3] The extensive fecal contamination also has caused unsafe swimming conditions.[4]

Description
The "7 caves" of La Jolla, just north of the cove.
Part of the beach and shallow water at the Cove

The beach at the Cove is very small, and the sand is gritty. Lifeguards are present at the Cove every day of the year from 9 am until the sun sets. The Cove is a very popular spot for swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. During summer, there are two swim buoys placed at 1/4mile and 1/2 mile distances from the Cove. More adventurous swimmers will attempt to swim to Scripps Pier and back, totaling 3 miles round trip. The cove is home to many open water swimming events year round including the Rough Water Swim[5] and the 10 Mile Relay swim.[6]

Because La Jolla Cove is within the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park (a marine refuge area),[7] swimming devices such as surfboards, boogie boards, and even inflatable mattresses, are not permitted, and kayakers are not allowed into the Cove; these rules are carefully enforced by the lifeguards on duty. Also because the Cove is an ecological reserve, no fishing is allowed. In addition, no collecting of marine invertebrates, (even taking dead specimens or seashells) is allowed in this area. All sea animals in this area are protected by law, including the orange Garibaldi fish, which are unusually common in the Cove. There are hundreds of sea lions that call the La Jolla Cove home, sometimes being seen in the deeper-water parts of the Cove or basking on rocks.[8]

As is the case at other beaches, the lifeguard's chalkboard indicates the time of the next high or low tide, and also the water temperature. The water temperature in the Cove is sometimes cooler than in some other areas of San Diego's coastline because the Cove faces out into much deeper, colder, water. The weather on land is typical of weather in La Jolla, where the temperature year-round seldom exceeds the 50 degrees to 90 degrees range.[9]

Facilities

Right at the top of the Cove there is a group of outdoor showers, and large public restrooms which include one indoor shower and an indoor area with benches and hooks for changing in and out of swimsuits.[10]

Sea lions and controversy

Primarily as a result of their nationwide protection following the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in 1972, California sea lion populations have quickly rebounded.[11] Specifically, the Channel Islands population has greatly expanded and are now inhabiting parts of central and southern California. As the sea lions have occupied more of La Jolla Cove, their interactions with people and property have increased significantly, with both positive and negative outcomes.[12] Large wildlife in urban spaces raises concerns about public health and the safety of people and wildlife in close proximity to each other.[12] These circumstances pose challenging management efforts for the City of San Diego as it seeks to protect the ecological integrity of the area while also ensuring opportunities for public use of the beaches.[13]

Wildlife conservation and land use policy

According to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), while there is no explicitly defined distance in feet to stay away from pinnipeds,[14] including California sea lions, harassing pinnipeds is illegal, and the MMPA defines harassment in two ways:

  • any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance that has the potential to injure a marine mammal; or
  • acts that have the potential to disturb but not injure a marine mammal by disrupting certain behaviors, including migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering.[14]

Furthermore, the Cove is a public beach as defined by the California Coastal Act and overseen by the California Coastal Commission.[15] Therefore, there is disagreement about who can use the beach and to what extent.[16][17] Currently the City is pursuing a shared-use policy with educational signs, interpretive docents, and law enforcement by park rangers, lifeguards, and policemen to ensure respect for the wildlife while permitting full use of the beaches.[13][17][18]

History of controversy

Earliest references to the sea lions hauling out in the Cove, or temporarily leaving the water to rest in significant numbers, are from 2013. At that time La Jolla business owners organized into the nonprofit Citizens for Odor Nuisance Abatement in order to file a civil lawsuit against the City over the “foul odor” caused by shorebird and sea lion poop at the Cove, which they claimed was as a public nuisance.[19][20][21] The City contracted the cleaning product company Blue Eagle to develop and apply a nontoxic bacterial solution to dissolve the poop without polluting the ocean or harming wildlife.[22][23][24] The City additionally installed a public-access gate into a fence along the bluffs east of the Cove in hopes that increased foot traffic would disperse the sea lions and reduce the smell.[25]

In 2015, the City contracted the marine and environmental consulting services of Hanan & Associates to study both the seals and sea lions in La Jolla and provide management options.[12] Over the course of the year, they performed a research study on the populations and behaviors of Pacific harbor seals and California sea lions in and around La Jolla and offered several options and management strategies for deterring the pinnipeds from hauling out, as well as increasing public education.[12] In the final report, published the following year, Hanan & Associates additionally noted the overall increase in pinniped populations along the entire coastline and suggested that more research would be necessary to better inform policy decisions.[13]  

In 2016 the La Jolla Town Council created the Community Task Force on California Sea Lions, which included representatives from the La Jolla Cove Swim Club, the San Diego Council of Divers, and other members of the La Jolla community, to “gather community input and develop a consensus opinion” through public hearings to provide recommendations for the City.[26]

In 2017 the City increased educational signage around the Cove and formally adopted the Marine Coastal Management Plan.[27][13] The Management Plan, put together by Hanan & Associates, described the nature of the pinniped situation in La Jolla and provided management options. These included options to pursue shared-use, such as introducing an educational docent program, and options to deter the sea lions, specifically “harassment techniques” approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), which were noted as potentially temporary and objectionable by animals rights groups.[13] Following the release of the Management Plan, the Task Force released a position statement in which its members expressed discontent with some of the recommendations of the Management Plan and their lack of involvement in the process.[28] It concludes by noting that the City continues to pursue “the same beach-sharing approach used to deal with the [seals]” and argues that, due to behavioral differences between the species, this will ultimately be “impractical”.[28]

In a response to this position statement, and following a meeting with a member of the Task Force, the Director of the Parks and Recreation Department wrote that the City’s approach “will remain first and foremost education ... but prioritize having the beach available to visitors”.[29] The following summer, the Shoreline Parks Division of the Parks and Recreation Department hired its first pair of student interns to work as educators and policy-interpreters for 1 year at the Cove.[18] The internship program continued in 2019 with the second pair of student interns.

Surrounding area

Up on the bluffs above the beach, and stretching south to other nearby beaches, including Shell Beach and Children's Pool Beach, is Scripps Park, a well-maintained grassy area with trees and other plantings. Scripps Park is used for picnicking and relaxing.[30]

The La Jolla sea caves, or "The 7 caves of La Jolla",[31] are just north of the cove. The best known of these is "Sunny Jim Cave", a short walking distance from the Cove and from the local businesses that are situated up above the shoreline. The cave is accessible through The Cave Store, which charges a nominal fee to go down a staircase leading to the cave itself.[32]

Events

The La Jolla Cove is home to the annual "La Jolla Cove Rough Water Swim" in September[33] which is one of the oldest ocean swims in the world. It is also home to the Annual Concours d’Elegance held at the Scripps Park every spring.[34]

See also

References
  1. "San Diego Stumped on How to Stop the Stink".
  2. "La Jolla Finally Has a Plan to End Its Persistent Odor of Sea Lion Poop".
  3. "La Jolla Poop Problem Lingers as New Solutions Are Flushed Out".
  4. "Beachgoers undaunted by contamination at the cove". 5 May 2016.
  5. "La Jolla Rough Water Swim". www.ljrws.com. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  6. "Home". Celebrate.Swim.Give. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  7. San Diego Fire-Rescue Department; Lifeguard Services, La Jolla Cove, at sandiego.gov accessed 27 April 2013
  8. "Harbor Seal Facts | Seal Conservancy".
  9. "La Jolla".
  10. La Jolla Cove, at a-zsandiegobeaches.com accessed 27 April 2013
  11. McClatchie, S., Field, J., Thompson, A. R., Gerrodette, T., Lowry, M., Fiedler, P. C., Watson, W., Nieto, K. M., & Vetter, R. D. (2016). Food limitation of sea lion pups and the decline of forage off central and southern California. Royal Society Open Science, 3. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150628
  12. Hanan, D. A. (2016). California Sea Lion Observations at La Jolla Cove Initial Investigation of Abundance and Behavior with Recommendations/Options Final Report. Hanan & Associates, Inc. Submitted to City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department. P.O. #4500062579 https://www.dropbox.com/s/zvsq7ade69fwbnz/AKBCopyHananReport.pdf?dl=0
  13. Hanan, D. A. (2017). Marine Coastal Management Plan – La Jolla. Hanan & Associates, Inc. Submitted to City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department. https://e275257f-745f-4a56-a0e1-3870a6825caf.filesusr.com/ugd/03bec0_5d849b125ec64fc6a2f09c1dcc2ee1c2.pdf
  14. Public Law 92-522. (1972). AN ACT To protect marine mammals; to establish a Marine Mammal Commission; and for other purposes. 1027-1046. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-86/pdf/STATUTE-86-Pg1027.pdf
  15. Constitution of the State of California. (1976). Article X Water, Section 4. Prop. 14. Res.Ch. 5, 1976. Accessed from State of California Legislative Counsel Bureau.
  16. Strege, D. (2018, April 24). Tourists are ‘loving sea lions to death’ in La Jolla. For The Win. https://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/04/tourists-are-loving-sea-lions-to-death-in-la-jolla
  17. Mackin-Solomon, A. (2017, August 3). Sea Lion Summer: Both humans and pinnipeds compete for La Jolla Cove waters at this time of year. La Jolla Light. https://www.lajollalight.com/news/sd-summer-months-important-humans-sea-lions-la-jolla-cove-20170801-story.html
  18. Mackin-Solomon, A. (2018, August 22). City sets up information tent at La Jolla Cove. La Jolla Light. https://www.lajollalight.com/news/sd-city-information-tent-la-jolla-cove-20180817-story.html
  19. Citizens for Odor Nuisance Abatement v. City of San Diego. Cal. Ct. App., Fourth District, Division 1, decided February 9, 2017. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-court-of-appeal/1777141.html
  20. Trageser, C. (2013, December 27). San Diego Sued Over 'Foul Odor' Of Sea Lion And Bird Poop At La Jolla Cove. Patch. https://patch.com/california/lajolla/san-diego-sued-over-foul-odor-of-sea-lion-and-bird-poop-at-la-jolla-cove
  21. Trageser, C. (2016, January 10). San Diego Stumped On How To Stop The Stink. NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/2016/01/10/462555677/san-diego-stumped-on-how-to-stop-the-stink
  22. Phan, H. T. (2013, December 26). SD sued over sea lion stench. The San Diego Union-Tribune. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/environment/sdut-la-jolla-cove-stench-sea-lions-lawsuit-2013dec26-story.html
  23. Trageser, C. (2013, May 31). How Poop-Eating Bacteria Could Clean La Jolla Cove. KPBS. https://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/may/31/how-poop-eating-bacteria-could-clean-la-jolla-cove/
  24. Trageser, C. (2015, December 15). La Jolla Poop Problem Lingers As New Solutions Are Flushed Out. KPBS. https://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/dec/15/la-jolla-poop-case-continues-new-solutions-are-dig/
  25. Garske, M. (2014, January 1). City Installs Gate in Response to La Jolla Cove Odor Lawsuit. NBC San Diego. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/city-installs-gate-in-response-to-la-jolla-cove-odor-lawsuit/122454/
  26. Bache, A. K., Beachman, D., Simonelli, D., Tracey, J., Burleigh, D., Haskins, S., Lebeouf, N., Preisdorfer, A., Minick, P., Valentine, D., Marengo, C. A., King, E., & Coakley, M. (2016). Crisis in the Cove: A Call for Action. La Jolla Community Task Force on California Sea Lions. http://media.wix.com/ugd/03bec0_8837d84466e24079956be73c4264fd9f.pdf
  27. Mackin-Solomon, A. (2017, March 29). Safe conduct: City of San Diego hopes shoreside sign at La Jolla Cove solves seal, sea lion saga. La Jolla Light. https://www.lajollalight.com/news/sd-city-posts-sea-lion-sign-la-jolla-cove-20170329-story.html
  28. Bache, A. K., Beachman, D., Simonelli, D., Tracey, J., Burleigh, D., Haskins, S., Lebeouf, N., Preisdorfer, A., Minick, P., Valentine, D., Marengo, C. A., King, E., & Coakley, M. (2017). LJTC Community Task Force ~ California Sea Lion Occupation of LJ Beaches Position Statement on Recent City Decisions and Actions and La Jolla Town Council “Call for Action” Update Summary. La Jolla Community Task Force on California Sea Lions. https://e275257f-745f-4a56-a0e1-3870a6825caf.filesusr.com/ugd/03bec0_5bf5cb35fea14336b42b427061119d88.pdf
  29. Parker, H. D. (2017). Re: La Jolla Community Task Force on California Sea Lions Meeting. Email correspondence. Park and Recreation Department, City of San Diego. https://e275257f-745f-4a56-a0e1-3870a6825caf.filesusr.com/ugd/03bec0_1ba25b295807464ba59fdbee818e1f35.pdf
  30. La Jolla Cove, at lajollabythesea.com accessed 27 April 2013
  31. "7 Things You Didn't Know About Sunny Jim Cave". www.lajolla.com. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  32. Sunny Jim Cave, at lajollabluebook.com accessed 14 August 2013
  33. La Jolla Rough Water Swim sandiego.org, 2015-09-15, retrieved 2018-12-15.
  34. "5 Reasons To Check Out La Jolla Concours d'Elegance This Year". www.lajolla.com. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
To the North:
La Jolla Shores		 California beaches To the South
Shell Beach, La Jolla
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