On De Road in La Jolla
Seals and Sea Lions Oh My!
Our next stop “On De Road” was La Jolla. This neighborhood is home to a stretch of stunning coastline that supports Pacific Harbour Seal and California Sea Lion populations.
My first stop was the Seal Haul Out. Once a favored swimming spot due to its calm shallow waters, it is now one of the last remaining seal nurseries in the area.
The seals were quiet with most resting on the beach with their young. When nature exists next to urban populations, there is often conflict. It appears that this location was a popular children’s swimming area. The presence of the Pacific Harbour Seals has made this impossible. Residents have attempted to drive them away. You can read about it here. This long-term conflict between residents and activists seems to have the seals in a winning position for now. A rope is present on the beach to allow viewing without touching the animals.
As we continued along the coastal walk, several California Ground Squirrel were present and their young were busily munching away. While they are seemingly quite used to being fed by the multitude of visitors, there is a lot of discussion about population control due to the erosion they cause.
As I continued the walk, I came upon Ellen Browing Scripps Park. This popular spot is the site of a California Sea Lion colony.
The Marine Mammal Center describes this species as follows:
“California sea lions are known for their intelligence, playfulness and noisy barking. Their fur color ranges from chocolate brown seen in males to a lighter, golden brown seen in females. Another key difference between males and females is that male sea lions are much larger—reaching up to 600 to 850 pounds and 7 feet in length. Females grow to 200 to 250 pounds and up to 6 feet in length.
These sea lions have a dog-like face, and starting at 4 years old, males develop a bony bump on top of their skull known as a sagittal crest, which is fully developed by 7 years old. The top of a male sea lion’s head often gets lighter in color with age.
As a member of the otariid or “walking seal” family, California sea lions have large flippers that they use to walk on land. Another distinctive physical characteristic is their external ear flaps.”
I was lucky to see a newborn pup with its mom and several young pups.
That little heart-shaped nose had me at hello!
While most visitors were enthralled with the seals and sea lions, they were missing the real stars of the show - THE BIRDS!
Interspersed along the path were several nesting California Gulls. There seem to be no protections for these birds at this critical time in their reproductive phase. At the same time, I seemed to be the only one that noticed them.
The same is true of the cormorants that dotted the coastline in large groups or colonies.
Courting displays, nest construction, and mating were happening all along the trail. I imagine in July this area will be a buzz of chick activity.
The companion reel below provides a sample of the activity I witnessed at this amazing site.
Many thanks to the Yoshida Family for planning this spectacular nature weekend for me. What a gift!
What an amazing natured filled spot! We are lucky to have you share your travels. Thank you!