Re “Why La Jolla Cove should be primarily for human beings” (June 26): While my own memories do not extend so far back, I can sympathize with the writer’s nostalgia for the pre-seal/sea lion cove of her childhood. The writer asks what Ellen Browning Scripps would think now. In 1931, Miss Scripps funded construction of the cove’s breakwater to create a protected area for children.
In the years since, a plethora of local, state and federal governmental actions have elevated the protection of marine mammals in the cove. One can, of course, argue over the merits of these actions. As to Miss Scripps, while she funded the breakwater, she also co-founded the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which works to protect the seas and sea life. She might well be conflicted today. After all, the cove belongs to the sea, the habitat of the creatures in question.
— Stephen Treadgold, La Jolla
According to the letter writer, the sea lions living and reproducing pups in the safety of La Jolla Cove should just go somewhere else along the very long California coastline. I suggest that we continue to leave the sea lions alone and have people go somewhere else on our very long coastline! She’s right that it’s just one little cove, and fortunately there are many other beautiful beaches for people to enjoy here in San Diego. Let’s respect and appreciate nature in all its messy, sometimes stinky beauty at the cove.
I’m not sure Ellen Browning Scripps would agree with her point of view either.
— Mary Saxton, Tierrasanta