La Jolla Children’s Pool set to close this week for seal pupping season

Danielle Dawson
·2 min read

SAN DIEGO — The time has come: La Jolla Children’s Pool will be sealed off for the season later this week.

Starting on Friday, the popular beach will be closed to the public for the annual harbor seal pupping season, which is the period when the pinnipeds give birth. The shore will be reopened when pupping season ends on May 16.

Keeping beachgoers at a distance from the seals during this five month period helps give the seals that live along the beach a safe place to birth and nurse new pups after carrying them for about nine to 11 months.

In the 2024 pupping season, advocates expect as many as 50 to 60 harbor seal babies to be born on the shores of Children’s Pool beach. Once a pup is born, it will be nursed for about four to six weeks both on land and in the water.

Visitors will still be able to walk on the sidewalk and seawall — should conditions allow — near the Children’s Pool while the shore is roped off. Divers and swimmers will not be able to access the water from this beach during the closure.

Sea lions at La Jolla Cove: What to know before visiting

Once the seal’s pupping season ends, sea lions, which mostly reside on neighboring La Jolla beaches, will begin their pupping season. The sea lion’s pupping season runs annually from mid-May to the end of October.

Last year, the San Diego City Council approved additional seasonal closures for Point La Jolla and Boomer Beach for sea lion conservancy. Restrictions to Point La Jolla and segments of Boomer Beach were expanded to a year-round closure in September.

The popular La Jolla Cove, which is famous for its sea lion population, does not currently have any regular closures.

According to advocates, measures limiting public access aim to keep both beachgoers and the pinnipeds that reside on the La Jolla shoreline safe, as they can display aggressive behavior that can put visitors in danger when they feel threatened or are in the midst of their mating season.

The harbor seal pupping season beach closure is part of a 10-year agreement between the city and the California Coastal Commission that is expected to last until 2029. The permits for the Boomer Beach and Point La Jolla closure are set to expire in 2030.

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