<
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/san-diego-closes-popular-beach-for-seven-years-to-protect-sea-lions-180982943/>
"Every summer, sea lions come ashore in Southern California to give birth,
nurse and breed. Several of these sleek pinnipeds haul themselves out of the
Pacific Ocean onto the rocks of Point La Jolla, a rugged peninsula located
about 15 miles northwest of downtown San Diego.
Tourists flock to see the sea lions at this easily accessible rookery—but they
don’t always give the marine mammals the space they need. Recently, visitors
have been spotted snapping photos with the sea lions, flying drones in their
faces, throwing sand and even kicking them. In one instance, a pup died after
being cornered by a group of people.
“Members of the public have been observed trying to touch, take ‘selfies,’ and
get as close to sea lions as possible, which is potentially dangerous for not
only the public, but also the animals,” according to a city statement, as
reported by KPBS. “Human interactions with adult sea lions and their young may
result in injury to, and/or abandonment of, sea lion offspring, as well as
aggressive behavior from adult sea lions.”
Now, city leaders are stepping in to help keep the pinnipeds safe. On Monday,
the San Diego City Council voted unanimously to close Point La Jolla and parts
of nearby Boomer Beach to people and dogs for seven years, reports Ashley
Mackin-Solomon for the
La Jolla Light.
The closure spans about 150 yards of coastline, per the
Los Angeles Times’
Jeremy Childs. It does not include La Jolla Cove, which is a popular swimming
area with a beach, nor nearby Shell Beach and Ellen Browning Scripps Park. And
visitors who want to observe the marine mammals will still be able to do
so—they’ll just need to stay behind barriers. People will also still be able to
access the ocean from the closed area.
The California Coastal Commission, a state agency that manages the coastline,
signed off on the plan earlier this month."
Via
Future Crunch:
https://futurecrunch.com/good-news-net-zero-rhinos-africa-maternal-asia/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
