Controversial spot in San Diego; has been for years. This place brings out my misandrist feelings. Why? Because once again mankind thinks it is entitled to everything. Before the seals showed up here, this was a popular beach for kids due to the calm waters and easy beach access. But now this is the only beach (not counting the rocks at La Jolla Cove) where seals congregate, and feel safe. It pisses me off that people can't shut up about it, and find another beach. I mean, there are LOADS of them. The fact that the seals chose to make this spot their home has many positives. (1) It brings tourist dollars to the area, (2) the viewing platform serves as a great way for people and kids to get good looks at the seals and learn more about them, (3) it gives people an idea as to the shark activity in our local waters (I have seen several seals with shark bites, some with rather large bite radiuses), and (4) La Jolla should be proud to have the seals as part of their community. But people who still want to swim here, and who still do, are not only stupid, but they are disgusting. Anyone who has been here knows what I am talking about. Where seals live, there is seal crap. The water is brimming with it, and the stench is pretty over-powering. Yet gross people still violate the laws, and swim in this giant toilet regardless because they feel entitled to it. Seals have more class than these people; no seal would swim in our toilets. read more

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. http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/San-Diego-restricts-beach-use-after-seal-abuse-4368535.php#ixzz2O5ZjEdzm read more

I've got mixed feelings about this one. People were here first, then the seals came, then the people came back and kicked them out, and now the people try to fix the mess in saying we're "sharing" the beach. Seal controversy aside, the children's pool is part of a beautiful beachside walk of cliffside views, waves crashing into rocks, grassy parks, events, snorkeling,kayaking, and more. They are even building a new life guard tower here to ensure safety of anyone who enters the water. However, with the seals coming here during the winter seasons, and a wall barrier preventing waves from crashing, I wouldn't swim here at all. Bacteria and fecal matter must be everywhere! During the summer, I never really saw any seals laying on the beach tho, so your children will be alright. Anyways, of the 10000000+ beaches we've claimed along the coast, I think we can avoid taking this small patch of sand and swim elsewhere. read more

Heard there was a wildlife beach in La Jolla, but MAN is it disappointing!!! This place is nothing but tourists and cameras hording around a tiny beach of seals, and it's a battle to see which group stinks worse!!! I took out my phone to take a few pictures but I put it away because it's simply sad. And I cannot believe the lack of any sort of respect the people have for the animals. When a seal comes up on the beach in Hawaii, we have people who run down and tape off the area to give it peace. Same with turtles. This ... California, you have it all wrong. Not impressed here, not even a little bit. The sand squirrels are cute, for about two minutes. The throngs of amateur photographers are just intolerable. What are you photographing that hasn't already been photographed a million times?!?! It's a TOURIST beach!!! read more

Unfortunately the children's pool is not longer for children or any person in fact due to it being taken over by harbor seals. It is a nice stop of your only purpose is to visit/observe the seals. It's also a little smelly. What's convenient are the public showers and toilets. read more

Children's Pool - Beaches Near Me - La Jolla, California

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SUN, SEA & SEALS ...and big fat slobs and annoying tourists who don't know how to behave near God's creatures! Only a few blocks from the great Harry's Coffee Shop and along a gorgeous coastal drive there....this is a definite don't miss attraction while in La Jolla. When my friend told me there was a beach where seals came up shore, I didn't expect this. Gorgeous coastline, unbelievable colors of blue and green....and tons of seals sunning on the beach. The seals seem to gravitate toward two parts of the beach. One contained most of the seals and was (gladly) roped off. Unfortunately on the other side, about 10-15 seals hung out including a pregnant female and another female with a young pup. There was no protection of any sort for the seals. One person got closer, Than another and pretty soon you had a boatload of both domestic and international tourists getting closer-than-this to the seals. It was disturbing enough to see the mama and baby seal move about 100 times as these interlopers who obviously couldn't' respect boundaries get too close. And finally it became very very stressful as these IDIOTS couldn't stop pushing the envelope. Remember, these animals have their pups slaughtered in front of them during hunting season for their fur. Their own defense is really their loud barks and growls. To watch the discomfort of these defenseless creatures as these morons strive to get as close as they can .... so they can post it on Facebook and Tweet about it. There is some sort of policing station at the top of the stairs leading down to the beach. Someone finally got the security guard down there (after locals tried valiantly on their own to dissuade the poachers) and that kid of put an end to the harassment. It's a gorgeous sight to see, but please only go there if you are respectful of nature and can control your own impulses at social cache.. read more

We came here and it was amazing ! My son loved seeing the seals in there natural environment. We were nervous at first and thought we weren't going to see any. Parking is ok, we found a parking in less than 10 minutes. It's a must see, if you have children. They will enjoy it! read more

Children's Pool - Beaches Near Me - La Jolla, California

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I've been swimming La Jolla Cove since the mid 80s. I swam by seal rock occasionally in the 90s, but usually at least a quarter mile offshore to avoid getting beat-up the waves or bugging the seals. There is plenty of beach and seal rock has just always been where the seals hung out and where the sharks came to feed in season. It always seemed only fair that the seals should have their spot and the sharks should have their feeding ground. Lately a few old privileged folks, nostalgic for the good old days, complain that when an old lady built the sea wall in the 1930, she didn't designate it a "seal sanctuary" but rather called it a children't pool. At the time, there were very few public pools for children (now there are hundreds) and the concept of wildlife conservation was decades away. Commercial fishermen were still shooting seals on sight in Point Loma. The marine sanctuary was 40 years away and the sea was an inexhaustible resource. Seals and sea lions go where the food is - like people going to a restaurant. The seals spend time in the cove because it is one of the few places protected from commercial fishermen. Thanks to commercial fishing trollers, dragging their nets right up to the edge of the cove, the fish population has been decimated by the commercial fisherman and the seals / sea lions are very hungry. Of course if you weren't been swimming the cove for decades, you probably wouldn't notice. Last year they restaurant owners got the bright idea to open the cliffs to foot traffic. Figured tourists seeking a facebook photo would harass the sea lions and force them to leave the cliffs. Many young sea lions died. Some moved to the beach since they have to get out of the water or they go hypothermic. Overall, they endured the unending harassment by tourists as best they could. The tourists themselves were subjected to a degree of natural selection with a few of the most foolish falling off the cliffs. Some drown in pursuit of that perfect facebook photo. Of course that had nothing to do with opening the cliffs a year ago. If the law of cause and effect is foreign to you, you might blame the seal lions. Not the commercial fishermen and civilian who now venture into what used to be protected areas to wipe out the fish. Not the restaurant people who opened the cliffs. Not the legions of tourists who harass the wildlife. Just blame the wildlife. They can't speak for themselves and are being wiped out all all fronts. Don't think - just react - it's good enough for an ameba. read more

I LOVE this beach. Well, its the Seals beach. Usually I just stand at the top, or go on the walkway and watch the cute seals sunbathe and make voices for them, and carry on conversations as if I were the seals... ahem anyway... I was here the other day and people were standing literally a foot away from the seals...I saw a lady touching them....I felt wrong standing so close, they were probably scared and annoyed. Usually there is security watching, and a rope so no one goes too close, but on that day it didn't seem as if anyone was even looking. Well with all the controversy surrounding this beach, i hope it stays the seals beach forever, this isnt a children's pool this is SEAL BEACH!! read more

Now just a place for debate, not a natural habitat for either humans or seals. It was "natural" prior to 1931 when the sea wall was built so ""said lands shall be devoted exclusively to public park, bathing pool for children, parkway, highway, playground, and recreational purposes" Mother nature ignored the "exclusively" clause and filled 75% of the pool area with sand making it seal friendly, who arrived in the 1990s. It's now a legal and political debate with opposing sides protesting making visiting less-to-no fun. The "high fecal coliform counts" and aroma are not fun either. I just do not go there anymore. If you are from out of town and want to see seals, great, but realize you are not seeing them in their natural habitat. The historic natural habit was north at Seal Rock. Restoring the area to it natural state would require removing the seawall, letting mother nature flush the pool of sand and fecal matter, making it neither child or seal friendly. read more

What I hate about this place are the humans. And let me tell you my experience that led to this. The sand area was empty with the exception for 2 people just taking videos, however, we were within the area behind the ropes that are clearly meant to give distance for the seals (Tip, you can't get to the rails from this way, or you can hop it like me if nobody is in your way). I got to the railing edge and started just looking, took videos and pictures here and there. I enjoyed watching the seals, they would be in the water and a wave would hit them and they would scurry back like they were scared of it. Saw some stretch and saw some scratching themselves with their flippers. This was the part I enjoyed. A lot of people were on their phones literally 24/7, it;s sad to see what technology has done. Don't get me wrong I was on my phone to take videos but you got to sometimes put it down and enjoy nature with your own two eyes. Then hell started coming in the form of humans. As I said earlier the ropes are there to prevent you from getting close and disturbing the seals. But hey fuck it, who cares right? It was amazing, I was there for only 30 minutes, and even though nobody had entered when I arrived, within those 30 minutes, I saw people of all races and age just waltzing through and video recording the seals. It was clear that when these people were approaching the seals (QUICKLY even), the seals seemed perturbed and moved closer to the waters, turning their heads back to check on them. Although many of them weren't bothered at all, you still have to give space to the pups, who may be relatively new to human experience. Not to mention that the railing area is already super close to the seals and you have an aerial vision of them. TLDR: humans = scum. Seals and ocean view = cool read more

Really sad to see all the seals exhausted trying to come on shore and all the people chase them into the water. So gross who would get in that water anyway? It is so dirty. Sad to see what happened to a nice little piece of SD. read more

Personally I'd also rather watch a bunch of stinky, cute seals hang out on the beach then a bunch of loud kids litter the beach with plastic shovels and toys with parents that are to lazy to watch their kids drowning in the 'children's pool'. Just kidding, but really I do love to watch these seals sleeping and scratching. With all the other visitors around I don't think I'm the only one. Kids like it too. Be warned though parking is difficult, the seals aren't always there, it smells just awful, and there is the occasional show down between pro-seal and anti-seal activists. Sure if you are brave and have something to prove you can go down there and use the beach but you might get arrested if you try taking a picture with your arm wrapped around one. I felt that if I was going to do this review I needed to learn a little more about the debate. After I did some reading from both sides and beyond I came to the opinion that building a 'children's pool' might not have been the greatest idea in the first place especially between a place called Seal Rock Point and Seal Rock. I think the idea of a children's pool is also outdated there are plenty of places for them to learn to swim and this part of the coast has evolved into a place where people young and OLD can come and witness these great creatures. Hopefully the politics can simmer down and nature can take its course. Here is a pretty interesting article about the dilemma. http://cmbc.ucsd.edu/Ocean_News_Room/Commentary/harbor_seal_dilemma/ read more

The Children's Pool is actually a beach spot created years ago for the children of La Jolla and visitors to experience the beach in an enclosed section of the La Jolla cliffs. Nature didn't particularly care for this beach to be only for children so she sent signals out to the sea-life that was being hassled by pollution and other naughty anti-nature influences that has disbursed and diminished sea life as we use to know it. So the sea-lions came a calling which caused some of the local residents to become very disgruntled. After all the beach should only be for people. However these wonderful creatures began creating quite a stir as they seemed to be well-liked by the visiting tourists and even some of the locals. Business was booming in and around the shores but that small group of residents persisted and they changed the law to encourage the sea-lions to leave. So now they are trying to share the space but it's not working out so well. I think the sea-lions will win out in the end. read more

When it comes to issues like this, I have to stick with my morals: I hate children. I love seals. In fact, I would go so far as to make the argument that IF we were to force the seal population of La Jolla to emigrate, the children who would thus take over the children's pool would produce as much noise and as much smell as the pool's prior inhabitants. BUT these children would provide less of an attraction for beach-goers. So I says: 'The Seals Stay!' read more

Watch the seals, leave them alone, enjoy the beach, BRING YOUR CAMERA. MUST-go place when you visit San Diego. Just be aware of the lack of parking spots near the beach on the weekends. Very peaceful and BEAUTIFUL. read more

Cute little beach full of seals and sea lions and with some moms chasing their toddles! Very picturesque and cute, but also very smelly. There were quite a lot of toddlers (and tourists) getting dangerously close to the animals - they are still wild so beware! There's also a nice green area where families were picnicking. read more

I love going to the Children's Pool. There is a lot to see in La Jolla, but whenever I have a friend visiting from out of town, I try to show them the Children's Pool. For me, paying a little visit to the seals never gets boring. It is a tourist attraction, just like UTC, but looking at the seals doesn't cost anything, unlike Sea World and it is also a lot less depressing because the seals are in their natural habitat. What is depressing, is seeing the seals trying to swim up to the beach, but they can't because some fat tourist from Arizona has parked their ass in the seal's spot. So I say enjoy the Children's pool as an observer, it's fun it's free and environmentally sound. read more

La Jolla seriously is beautiful. Warning it does get stinky here with the seals but this is their spot and we came to see them. Seals have such great personalities. But please don't harassment them for your instagram photos. Sunsets are beautiful here. read more

Getting ready to take the kids in the water snorkeling for the first time this year. Last weekend kayaking the caves near the Cove, we saw a HUGE colony of sea lions on the rocks near the caves, just hanging out. I have never seen them so concentrated there before. I wonder if the harbor seal population being scattered at the Children's Pool has made the sea lions also shift hangouts. Unknown. But doubtful. I think they got the memo that humans are sissies! What I can say is that snorkeling next to sea lions is much more scary than snorkeling next to leopard sharks. I wish there was some way to scatter the sea lions first so we can teach the kids what the underwater world is all about in safety. The goal is to get them to respect the ocean. A new secondary goal is to get them to understand that people, adults particularly, have misguided passions a lot of the time. Animal rights crusaders like the video camera folks, especially these intimidating types cause children to question adults' credibility. In the end, after having been cursed for walking on the sand outside the ropes, my kids concluded it would be fun to harrass the animals just to irritate the activist people. Bad conclusion. I hope it doesn't stick throughout life, but I fear it might, despite me trying to teach them reason. read more

The La Jolla Childrens pool was created about 70 years ago with a donation from the Scripps family and is a must see for all visitors to San Diego. A few notes: - There is a lot of controversy surrounding the pool,and there are some very angry, uneducated, loud animal activists there who will lie to and even assault the public, so be careful. - Currently (as of OCT '09), it is legal to go on the beach, The seals don't seem to mind 1/2 as much as the animal extremists do. Be careful not to disturb the seals if you do go on the beach. If you do go on the beach, be careful, the animal extremists at the top of the stairs have been known to threaten and lie to the public. Recently, one of them was arrested for allegedly assaulting a 16 year old girl. I personally have been harassed for going on the beach NEXT DOOR by these crazies, but it's still worth it to see the awesome animals. - The seals are not naturally occurring on beaches like this, which makes it unique. Sea World began dumping rehabbed seals at the Children's pool a few years ago, they liked it, and stayed, creating a neat viewing opportunity to see domesticated seals acting very different than they do in the wild. - Swimming is very safe at the Children's Pool. (after all, it was created to give human children a place to swim that is sheltered from the waves) There are severe rip currents and sharp rocks on the other beaches in the area, so use extreme caution should you swim elsewhere in La Jolla (this is coming from a decade a s an ocean Lifeguard in the area) The Children's Pool is AWESOME. Enjoy it, but don't let the violent animal activists in the area keep you from fully enjoying it by going on the beach or swimming in the area. read more

Visited for the first time and it was so much fun! The seals are adorable and it was great to see them in their natural environment. It was pretty "fishy" smelling but you'll ignore it when you see seal heads pop up from the waters or watch the plump ones sunbathe :) Can't wait to visit again! (Parking can be a pain though, but that's with any beach parking. Be patient!) read more

I went home again this week and stopped by my favorite place in the world... a little beach lined with seals nestled by a cove in the magic city. I'm not really sure there could be anything better than the feeling I get as I drive along the roads leading here. I need to make a point to do that as soon as the bike is fixed again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9q0PG8fuTw This trip was to visit a marine. He'd only been there once prior. It was part of a tour I gave him of a couple of "must sees." For the history. For the seals. For the whimsical magic of this place: its something I've shared with 2 lovers, an ex husband, my child, my dad... its difficult NOT to get swept away by the magic of the Children's Pool. read more

Dear Children's Pool, I'm sorry you are the center of so much controversy in La Jolla; sadly, you have also become the center of controversy in my heart. I don't know how to feel about you when I come visit you with friends. Really, I only ever want to come visit you when out-of-towners are here; otherwise, I'd rather stay away. You are such a nice little area of beach; I wish I had the guts to go down the steps and spend more time with you. But, I don't actually want to get that close to wild harbor seals. Also, I don't want to get into a confrontation with the people who spend their day sitting on the walls to "guard" the seals. I don't like conflict, see. You have been the spot of some of the greatest people watching, though, due to your controversy. I would not be surprised if one day I bring friends here and end up seeing more fist fights and screaming matches than seals. Sad. Hopefully things will all get worked out. Personally, I'm going stick to looking at you from above and then moving on to other beaches and tide pools nearby. read more

I didn't manage to make it to the Children's Pool until a couple months ago when I was scouting out the park for a wedding and just kept walking down the boardwalk, looking for other cute little beaches. I came across the Children's Pool and was mesmerized. I sat down and just watched the seals. For an hour. Then I walked down the the seawall and watched more. Between the cute pregnant seals and the cute kids stoked to see the seals, it was an awesome morning. I've since brought my guy, my parents, and my friends with kids down here for early-morning seal watching. (One of my out of town friends thought it was called "Children's Pool" because of the number of happy kids running about when we visited!) There are plenty of places to lay out and/or swim in San Diego, but not a lot of places to see wildlife relatively undisrupted by people. It should be preserved as such so our children can experience it! read more

good for little kids. theyre hard to lose here. leave the sea lions alone! look dont touch! dont be a creeper!! read more

Children's Pool - Beaches Near Me - La Jolla, California

The Children's Pool is a fantastic place to watch our wild colony of Harbor Seals sunbathe on the beach, or play in the water. The best seal watching is from the sea wall. Just remember to PLEASE keep your distance (at least 20 feet from the seals), don't make a lot of noise, and move slowly. Otherwise you might scare them into the water and lose your chance to see them up close. On a cautionary note, the beach and water where the seals live is contaminated by their natural excrement - I would not touch the sand or the water there or let my kids play in it. read more

One of the reasons I love visiting La Jolla Cove to see all the seals laying on this beach. There's not as many of them when I visited a couple years ago over summer. But there's a lot of cute baby seals with their mothers. The sea wall is currently under construction right now. Before you could walk along the railing of this wall and get a more up close view of them. The wall was first built to protect the shore from strong waves making it a safe spot for children to swim around in. But now with the seals taking over the beach there's been a lot of controversy on the news on whether to make this a sanctuary for them. And not to mention stupid people messing with the seals and harassing them has caused stricter rules. I don't think you're even allowed to go down to the beach at all anymore but just observe from above. Still a great tourist attraction to visit here in SD. read more

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So I came here right after a grizzly storm in SoCal. We have an apartment right by the Village so one day we walked down to the beach and saw crowds of people gathered by this one area. We found sea lions sun bathing on the beach and a protected sea walk. I would definitely suggest going here on a lazy Sunday afternoon. read more

I love Children's Pool. I have fond memories of going here as a child and playing in the shore break, catching sea urchins and eating them on crackers, snorkeling, and generally having a great time. It has been interesting watching it become a seal rookery. Also, I like walking along this whole seashore area, in general. Very beautiful area. read more

The federal Marine Mammal Protection Act Law states you must stay at least 150 feet away from seals and sea lions. Disturbing moms and their pups can lead to abandonment of pups. Please observe from a safe distance! More about the federal law: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/dontfeedorharass.htm read more

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I say let the seals stay! We all know that the Childrens Pool was built for children. It seems that some think that Miss Scripps is tossing off in her grave, but I think thats bs. She was an environmentalist as well and I don't think she would have any problem with seals using her precious pool. I would wager that the seals bring much more tourism to La Jolla that the excitement of swimming in a calm, cold, salty pool does. Besides, the cove is usually calm and 1/4 mile away. The ocean was not built for people only. There are other creatures in it. Its a beautiful place to walk and spend a sunny afternoon. Best political cartoon for La Jolla - A seal being crucified on the Mt. Soledad Cross. Two of the stupidest things that take up time on NPR during my morning commute. read more

Oh, I loved this place - it smells, and the seals are loud, but I could just watch them for hours - and hearing them was just great! I can't believe they'r.e just there - and this isn't a zoo. And they aren't afraid of us, and when I was there, people were very respectful of them. It is so peaceful to see animals so at ease with their surroundings. Wish we could be more like them - free and relaxed and majestic. There are pelicans, sea lions, and all sorts of birds and sealife here read more

Its a funny story that this place was initially made for children to shield them from the waves so they could enjoy the beach safely. Apparently not just humans love this place, but the sea lions do too! You can watch them lounging around as they bask in the sun and then clumsily wiggle their way back into the salty ocean to cool off and play around. Its relaxing and fun to observe the intermingling of nature with man-made structures. read more

Currently under construction, but it's still the best viewing spot if you're looking for the seals near LaJolla Cove. Naturally, it's full of tourists who don't heed the warning signs and parking can be quite horrific, but it's still a nice spot for a walk and some pictures if you get a nice day. Word to the wise: wear a decent pair of flip flops with treads...the sand on the stairs and sidewalks is very slippery! read more

Another great spot to take guests when they are visiting. Best time to go is when the pups are freshly born. Those ugly animals are so cute when they're little. Seems somewhat daring to walk out on the seawall during rough waters, if you're into that. I've been a few times and it still makes me smile. read more

Who doesn't love seals? I mean, really. And even if you're not a big fan, you get to see them for free! While they're out in the open, looking all cute and blubbery and endearingly sleepy! As opposed to overpriced and cooped up at Sea World. It's a win-win situation, albeit a slightly pungent one. And that's not even taking into consideration how beautiful this part of La Jolla can be. Definitely worth a visit if you're anywhere in the area, and worth the trek if you're not. read more

Children's Pool - Children's Pool in La Jolla, CA. - Beaches Near Me - La Jolla, California

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A lot has changed in the past few years. People are flooding back to the sand and enjoying the beach in the summer when it is legal to do so. The ropes are up but are not meant to keep people out, so from May 16th - December 14th feel free to take your family and enjoy the water. For the most part the seals are gone during the summer due to the number of children and families enjoying the beach. Here's a video I took snorkeling with my daughter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3xGEBTbl1s&list=UUc0VlV7Ba-Un9qwmdpe-kFA read more

One of the most picturesque spots in all of La Jolla/San Diego. There is so much to soak in while you are here.

I wanted in on the controversy, so here it goes. Im a fan of this debate. At least it brings real issues to light. So whats the big deal? There must be a reason why they are still there. There must be a reason why people are upset about them being there. Why there's all the fuss and arm raising against seals without the seals attacking you first.. well thats just some violent nonsense. Why theres all the fuss with animal protection persons harassing others without being intimidated or attacked first is pacifist nonsense. but the world is a bunch of bs nonsense and we live here. read more