Photo featuring precious harbor seals at Children’s pool, La Jolla, CA May 17, 2025, © Wildlife Jewels / Azi S.
Introducing EYES™ Hearts Seals — Help Us Protect La Jolla’s Seal Families
A Wildlife Jewels® Community-Science Initiative for Harbor Seals
🦭💙 See with care. Learn with purpose. Protect with heart.
Each year from December through May, La Jolla becomes one of California’s most important harbor seal pupping sites. Mothers return to the beaches they’ve used for generations — especially Children’s Pool — to give birth, nurse, and raise their pups through the earliest, most vulnerable weeks of life.
To support and protect these precious seal families, Wildlife Jewels proudly launches EYES Hearts Seals, a specialized community-science and volunteer initiative dedicated to safe observation, public awareness, and protection during pupping season and beyond.
💙 What Is EYES Hearts Seals?
EYES Hearts Seals is an extension of the larger EYES — Engage Your Eyes for Sea Life™ coastal wildlife monitoring program.
Our goal is simple and powerful:
⭐ Help La Jolla’s harbor seal pups stay safe
by empowering trained volunteers and community members to:
Observe seals and pups quietly and respectfully
Spot and report hazards or distressed animals
Support protective measures with accurate information
Educate visitors on seal-safe behavior
Reduce disturbance and prevent harmful interactions
This work is vital: Harbor seal pups can be injured, abandoned, or stressed when humans get too close, make loud noises, or bring dogs onto beaches or bluffs where they’re not allowed.
🦭 Why We Created the Hearts Seals Emblem
Our EYES™Hearts Seals emblem blends three symbols that represent the heart of our mission:
👁 The Eye
Seeing wildlife with care, awareness, and respect — the essence of EYES.
💙 The Heart
Protecting coastal wildlife with compassion and intention.
🦭 The Seal
Representing the vulnerable pups and families we’re here to help during their most critical season.
Together, these symbols reflect our purpose:
See with care. Learn with purpose. Protect with heart.
Why La Jolla’s Seal Pups Need Us
Harbor seals give birth on the shore — not offshore like sea lions. That makes them especially vulnerable to:
Human noise and crowding
Dogs on the beach or bluffs
People trying to touch, approach, or pick up pups
Fishing gear and entanglement
Children running or playing close to resting seals
Visitors unaware they are in a pupping area
Even well-meaning visitors can accidentally cause:
stress-induced separation
failed nursing attempts
mom–pup abandonment
Gentle monitoring and education from trained volunteers can make an enormous difference.
Interested in Taking Action to Protect Seals?
👉 Tap HERE to learn about EYES Hearts Seals and sign up!
👉 Tap HERE to learn about the Sierra Club San Diego Seal Society’s incredible docent and seal protection efforts and how you can get involved!
Sapphirine the harbor Seal May 17, 2025 at La Jolla Cove, CA by captured by Azi Sharif/ © Wildlife Jewels
Discover Ruby's magical Western Gull rescue on the San Diego coast, her recovery at Shalom Wildlife Hospital, and heartwarming reunion with her parents.
Wildlife Jewels Rescue Crew found and rescued a distressed juvenile Brown Booby from La Jolla Cove cliffs after a two-day search and coordinated wildlife rescue effort.
Wildlife Jewels Rescue Crew responded to a stranded Western Grebe and transported the bird for emergency care as distressed and deceased grebes are found along the Southern California coast.
Wildlife Jewels Rescue Crew rescues a distressed cormorant from below the wall at Point La Jolla and transports the bird for emergency wildlife veterinary care.
💔 We’re devastated to see another Western Gull fledgling entangled in fishing gear in La Jolla. On August 10, we documented Beryl, a young Western Gull entangled in fishing line and a large lure. Despite days of searching, we were unable to find her again
Wildlife Jewels Rescue Crew found and responded to a Pelagic Cormorant in distress during a Search Scout survey in La Jolla, helping the bird reach emergency veterinary care.
Follow the remarkable rescue of an entangled Brown Pelican at Crystal Cove, from fishing-gear injuries through rehabilitation to his return to the wild.
After weeks of documenting entangled seabirds at Point La Jolla, a precious Brandt’s Cormorant finally became reachable. Meet Azurite and follow her journey from fishing gear entanglement to rescue and a second chance.
Wildlife Jewels Rescue Crew rescued a Brandt’s Cormorant entangled in fishing gear at La Jolla Cove and transported the bird to wildlife rehabilitation for care.
Wildlife Jewels is searching for Beryl, a recently fledged Western Gull in La Jolla with fishing line and a lure wrapped around her beak. Learn how to report a sighting.
Wildlife Jewels continues monitoring injured harbor seal pup Kyanite at La Jolla's Children's Pool. Giving her space to haul out could provide a chance for rescue.
Wildlife Jewels documented at least 10 entangled cormorants in one day at Point La Jolla. Learn about this growing seabird entanglement crisis and ongoing monitoring efforts.
Wildlife Jewels® documented Blue-Banded Brown Pelican 429 during a Point La Jolla Search Scout survey, helping track the bird's recovery after rehabilitation.
During our EYES field surveys at Children’s Pool, we have continued observing the same injured harbor seal pup since June 28. She has a deep wound near her left shoulder/front flipper and appears to have difficulty moving.
During our EYES Children’s Pool survey yesterday, Wildlife Jewels documented a precious seal pup with a concerning open wound on the left neck/shoulder area.
Wildlife Jewels documented a yearling sea lion badly entangled in fishing line in La Jolla before SeaWorld Rescue successfully rescued her. Learn how discarded fishing gear threatens marine wildlife.
A California Brown Pelican in distress at San Marcos High School was safely rescued through coordinated efforts between Wildlife Jewels Rescue Crew, San Diego Humane Society, and SeaWorld Rescue.
Thank you to everyone who attended a recent Wildlife Jewels Rescue Crew training session at La Jolla Shores.
🚨 California Brown Pelicans need your help
California Brown Pelicans need your help. A concerning number have recently been found distressed along our coast, and other seabirds, including cormorants, are affected as well.
🚨 ENTANGLED WILDLIFE ALERT — La Jolla Cove 🚨
During our recent EYES wildlife monitoring at La Jolla Cove, we documented two entangled Brandt’s cormorants within ~2 feet of each other—including clearly visible rope/line. 💔
We’ve launched a neighborhood group for the La Jolla community to share local wildlife rescue resources and guidance specific to our coastline.
Last week, Wildlife Jewels hosted a hands-on Rescue Crew training in La Jolla focused on coastal birds. Using props, we practiced responsible response skills—how to recognize signs of distress, coordinate safely, and support bird rescue when professional help is needed.
Introducing the Wildlife Jewels Rescue Crew (Pilot Program) for Birds | La Jolla Cove and North County San Diego.
Wildlife Jewels® is launching the Rescue Crew (Pilot Program) in La Jolla to support responsible wildlife observation, reporting, and coordination with authorized responders along the Southern California coast.
Wildlife Jewels continues to document seabird entanglements in La Jolla, particularly at Point La Jolla, as birds face fishing gear and other pressures.