Help Protect Our Ocean Friends
Let's protect the beauty and wonder of the Carpinteria Harbor Seal Sanctuary
The Carpinteria Harbor Seal Colony's Home
PLEASE HEED THE CALL
"Can you hear the seals of Carpinteria calling to us?
Their message is a plea for help, to those who can hear it.
They ask only for a small swath of beach, and to be left alone,
undisturbed by humans and dogs."
"A Moral Obligation"
We believe we have a moral obligation to heed this call, and to thereby save one of Carpinteria’s iconic natural treasures, our Harbor Seal Rookery, one of the last on the west coast.
THE HARBOR SEALS OF CARPINTERIA
DECLINE IN CARPINTERIA'S HARBOR SEAL POPULATION
For over 100 years harbor seals have thrived in a rookery in Carpinteria, one of only two in southern California that can be viewed by the public. In recent years the rookery has been experiencing significant declines in the number of seals, with fewer than 100 seals on most days, well under the hundreds of seals of only a few years ago. The Harbor Seal Advisory Committee (HSAC) was formed, and reported to the City Council of Carpinteria that disturbances by humans and dogs were primarily responsible for the decline in seals. These disturbances, working through stress hormones, lead to long term degradation of the seals’ health, ultimately leading to reduction in the survival of pups and adults.
SEAL BIOLOGY REQUIRES UNDISTURBED BEACH ACCESS
Why don’t the harbor seals just swim to another beach if they feel disturbed? One answer is that they exhibit site fidelity, meaning that they live year-round on the beaches where they were born. Second, harbor seals are biologically REQUIRED to spend 50% of their time on the beach for daily thermoregulation, digesting food, sleeping and other physiological processes. The time on land is also required for evading aquatic predators and for seasonal processes, such as mating, giving birth, summer molting, and generating milk to feed their young. The rookery is presently closed December 1 to May 31 to protect seals during pupping season, but this leaves the seals without protection for much of the year when human activity is highest. Thus, biology forces harbor seals to be exposed to humans and dogs.
SAVE OUR SEALS "SOS" IS LAUNCHED
On February 3, 2025, Carpinteria City Council voted on whether the local harbor seal rookery, composed of only1,500 ft of shoreline, should temporarily be closed to people and dogs for a test period of 3 years. The temporary year-round closure was proposed by HSAC, backed by and endorsed by experts, and validated by publications in scientific journals. The Council was supportive of the report filed by HSAC, but did not have the budget to enable this 3-year test closure. Based on our research into known and suspected factors that have negative impacts on harbor seals, the Save Our Seals group (SOS) was launched to enact the conclusions of the HSAC, and to achieve a temporary year-round closure of the rookery’s 1,500 feet of beach.
If we, supported by data and expert opinions, are right in predicting that eliminating humans and dogs from the rookery will stabilize the seal population this points to a clear pathway for restoring a healthy rookery through a private-public partnership. On the other hand, if we do nothing, the seal population will likely continue to decline, and the Carpinteria harbor seal rookery will collapse. If this happens it will have a swift economic and social impact and will disappoint the thousands of visitors from around the world who presently come to view the seals. Importantly, other rookeries have had success in restoring seal populations by adopting measures to deter humans and dogs so we expect success if we can obtain funding for the three-year test.
Rescued Pup
Harbor Seal Facts
Beach Time
Beach Time
Beach Time
· Harbor seals are very dependent on spending 50% of their time on the beach.
· This beach-time is REQUIRED YEAR-ROUND for daily thermoregulation, digesting food, sleeping and other physiological processes such as preparation for diving.
Pupping
Beach Time
Beach Time
· The time on land is also required for seasonal processes, such as mating, giving birth, summer molting, and generating milk to feed their young.
· To assist with this beach-time, the rookery is presently closed to the public from December 1 to May 31 to protect seals during pupping season.
Dangers
Beach Time
Dangers
· Science and first-hand observation support the fact that humans and dogs are the major cause of harbor seal disturbances.
· These disturbances trigger stress hormones, leading to long term degradation of the seals’ health, and survival rates of both pups and adults.
Aerial view of the seal rookery.
What can you do?
1. First & foremost, do not walk, run, or ride your bike on the beach near the rookery at any time of the year. It interrupts vital sleep and other biological functions.
2. If photographing the seals from the overlook, avoid getting the seals’ attention. When they are watching you, they are actually feeling threatened.
3. You can also help by making a financial donation to Save Carp Seals in the form of a check. Checks should be made out to "Carpinteria Valley Foundation" with a notation, "For SOS for the protection of the harbor seals.” Mail to CVF, PO Box 27, Carpinteria, CA 93014.
"They ask only for a small swath of beach"
Together we can make it happen!