Though I live in Ventura, for the last eight years I have enjoyed almost weekly walks along the beautiful bluffs of Carpinteria. It is one of the most majestic places for a walk and I have enjoyed bringing many visitors to this area.
I always stopped to see the harbor seals, but many times they were not there. I happened to meet a Seal Watch volunteer one day, who explained about her job and about the seals to me. I was very enthused and decided I, too, could spend two hours a week to help protect these beautiful creatures and educate the public about them.
In January, I started spending each Sunday at the Seal Watch. I was astounded to see tourists from all over the globe coming to see the seals! On one of the busiest days on my watch we had over 100 people per hour! Every language, every continent! How did people know about this attraction? I engaged in conversation with many people and they asked, where can we eat here? Where is there shopping in Carpinteria? Sometimes tourists came from LAX to Carp to see the seals directly while driving north on the 101. I could not believe how interested the adults and children alike were in learning about these adorable mammals. People were excited and spent sometimes 15 to 20 minutes just observing the seals.
It was a pleasure to see the seals have babies and thrive during the months we were stationed there. These beautiful creatures have occupied this area for many, many years. They are wild animals who play an essential role in our marine environment. They are very sensitive creatures and as mammals they require rest on land for survival. When a person doesn’t see the sign about the beach closure and walks or jogs on the beach, they all scatter and go back in the water. This includes new moms, tiny babies, injured animals, etc. This takes a toll on their overall well-being. The stress levels rise and they suffer health problems and die.
This was my first six months with the Seal Watch group, and I feel so frustrated and disheartened to see that on June 1 the beach opened. There are now very few seals on the beach. I cannot understand why the City of Carpinteria will not close the beach year round, it’s only 1,500 feet of beach! People want to see the seals, healthy and surviving in peace.
Additionally, we need new large signage on both ends of the closure to inform people and to try to enforce the federal protection of these beautiful marine mammals. They are a rare treasure and actually bring a lot of notoriety and revenue to Carpinteria. There are plenty of open beaches in Carp to walk on, let’s give the seals a chance. The public needs to be educated about these animals, and they need to learn to respect and share the land with wildlife that was here before them.
Please help me get the message out to the City Council of Carpinteria to close the beach, and acquire new large signage, to help us enforce this closure. Please let our voices be heard to help these creatures live.
