Animal Advocacy Harbor Seal Colony Webcam - watch to see they aren't harassed

[Calliegirl]

This webcam was put up to help monitor the harbor seals who tend to get harassed often. Because of it, very few of them are left. They will be having pups soon, so they really need to be protected then. This is in La Jolla (near San Diego), California.

Just click on the picture of the seal.

http://www.wanconservancy.org/seal_media.htm

 

[Calliegirl]

I read that they have some volunteers watching, even one in Australia for the overnight shift, who control where the camera is pointed. I would think it wouldn't hurt to have more than one person watching though.

Here's a message Sea Shepherd recently posted about it...

URGENT: La Jolla Harbor Seals need you!
Streaming Live Viewing of the
Harbor Seal Colony in La Jolla, California


We are pleased to announce that the Western Alliance for Nature has installed a seal cam at Children's Pool Beach in La Jolla. It operates 24/7. You can go to www.wanconservancy.org
Mayor Filner has been very supportive of the seal cam and we would appreciate it if you would write to him and thank him at bobfilner@sandiego.gov Ask him for more enforcement of the 50 foot separation between people and seals. Let him know that the 152 foot rope works if it is supported. Remind him that this is pupping season, and in past years the first births took place at the end of January. If the seals are kept off the beach by people sitting at the waterline, the seals will not haul out and have no place to deliver their pups.
Unfortunately the professional harassers and their provocateur friends continue to do everything they can to force the seals off the beach, which is why there are so few seals present. This beach is a federally recognized Harbor Seal rookery with no enforcement of the Marine Protection Mammal act and that is why we need your help
There are three things you can do to help
Frist go to www.wanconservancy.org and watch our seals on the beach and fall in love with them. They will be having their pups very soon. This is important so we can show the Mayor that people from all over the world are watching and care about our seals
Second Emails to our Mayor Bob Filner At bobfilner@sandiego.gov and let him know you support the rope or closing the beach during pupping season
Third send complaints to:
Jan Goldsmith, City Attorney cityattorney@sandiego.gov
Sherri Lightner, San Diego City Councilmember sherrilightner@sandiego.gov
They do not support the rope or closer of the beach during pupping season.

PLEASE SHARE

 

[Calliegirl]

They caught a bunch of people on camera beating up the seals during the night, including the babies
No one has been arrested, but they are finally closing the beach to people at night. Hopefully someone release the video to try to identify the people.

It's ridiculous they had to wait until this happened to close the beach, they know the seals are regularly harassed.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego's mayor has ordered a two-month nighttime shutdown of a beach after cameras set up to monitor a seal colony captured people kicking, punching and sitting on top of mother seals and their pups.
Mayor Bob Filner said in a statement Tuesday that the La Jolla (HOY'-uh) beach known as Children's Pool will be closed between sunset and sunrise until May 15.
The 24-hour "seal-cam" was introduced in January and equipped with night vision so researchers and the public could watch the seals give birth during pupping season.
But the camera captured people abusing and harassing the seals and driving them from their resting places.
The beach has been the center of a long legal fight over human access versus seal protection.


Read more:http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/San-Diego-restricts-beach-use-after-seal-abuse-4368535.php#ixzz2OCLce2o5

http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/artic...se-after-seal-abuse-4368535.php#ixzz2O5ZjEdzm

 

[sallyomally]

I read this the other day. Disgusting. I would be happy to dust off my baseball bat and serve as night watchman. I agree that this was likely something that's happened before. Sad that it has to get to this point before action is taken.

 

[Moll Flanders]

They caught a bunch of people on camera beating up the seals during the night, including the babies

You can understand maybe one person being a sadistic freak and doing that but a lot of people?! It makes me so angry.

 

[FortyTwo]

How can you beat up seals? Ever?

I have the urge to go hug them.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

How can you beat up seals? Ever?

I have the urge to go hug them.

I'd be afraid they'd kick my ***.

 

[Calliegirl]

A lot of the time it's people who fish, they claim the seals eat all the fish.