Children's Pool

No more, harbor seals. No more...

Today, in the second controversial decision this week, a San Diego Superior Court judge ruled that the Children's Pool must be returned to the children. The seals must go.

I always side with the animals in things like this. Though the cove was built (in 1931) as a safe place for children to swim, it has since become overrun with harbor seals. They've had generations of babies, imprinted that tiny beach in their minds, and pooped it up year round. They've (apparently) also attracted sharks to the area, though shark attacks in San Diego are so rare. 

My question is what is so special and important about this tiny cove that this small war has waged for 15 years? I've been there many times in the last 4 years, and these last 4 years have seen the most fighting, and it's just a maze of sharp rocks and plant life, outside of the seals. Even if the seals and their poops were nonexistent, I wouldn't want my kid in the children's area that's filled with sharp rocks. Because the cove is protected from the tide the waves don't have much effect on the sandy floor, which means rocks can't be worn down and sea weeds can't be uprooted. 

It seems to me that, seal poop aside, that cove is in need of a major overhaul if it's going to serve its original purpose. I also have a brooding feeling that by calling it a "children's pool" parents will think it really is a pool, and not a part of the ocean, and will allow their children to wander and swim unsupervised (or with distracted supervision). It's only a matter of time before the first lawsuits roll in.