It was a special end to January in La Jolla, as beach goers welcomed the first seal pup of 2026.
“We had no idea that it was pupping season! I didn't know that was a thing,” San Diego visitor Gail shooter says. “It’s exciting that they've got the little babies out there.”
Volunteers say the pup named Persimmon is already thriving.
“She's growing phenomenally,” Seal Society Volunteer Purnima Oza says. “She's playing, she gets on her back now, she actually swims on her back! She's so funny.”
And if you’ve walked by Children’s Pool in La Jolla between mid December and mid May, you may have come across this sign:
It’s to protect the seals during pupping season, but not everyone has been following the rules.
The Sierra Club Seal Society of San Diego says footprints have been found on the beach in recent weeks, an area that’s off-limits during pupping season.
“Nobody is allowed on the beach for their safety, for their protection,” Oza says. “They're a protected species.”
That’s why volunteers and San Diego lifeguards monitor the cove daily. But Sierra Club volunteers not only watch over the pups and their mothers, they also educate visitors and prevent dangerous interactions.
Last year, three sea lion pups died at the cove, with human contact suspected as a contributing factor.
“If people were to touch them or spook them or get too close, the mother will in fact abandon it because the scent of a human is threatening to seals,” Oza warns.
In the coming weeks, more pups are expected to arrive. For now, Persimmon, La Jolla’s newest resident, is doing great.
