In La Jolla people-versus-seals battle, tide has yet to turn
Fans of the marine mammals want to restrict access to the Children's Pool beach. Divers and swimmers say that's not fair. City Council is sick of the whole issue.
By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times
January 8, 2012, 10:04 p.m.
Reporting from San Diego—
On the beach at the Children's Pool, curious tourists and locals, many with cameras at the ready, approached the dozens of harbor seals sleeping in the noonday sun.
From her vantage point on the sidewalk overlooking the horseshoe-shaped beach, Dorota Valli, a volunteer with the unofficial Seal Watch Campaign, was ready with her bullhorn.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she announced sternly, "please stay behind the rope. The seals are pregnant and they need their rest. No picture is worth hurting the seals."
At the other end of the sidewalk, near the lifeguard tower, were activists of an opposing stripe who believe Valli and her group are robbing the citizens of San Diego of the right to enjoy the breakwater-protected beach and its tranquil access to the ocean.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-seals-20120109,0,48021.story
$1 million dollars in city legal fees. 
= new reply since forum marked as read
In 2000, the year with the most recorded shark attacks, there were 79 shark attacks reported worldwide, 11 of them fatal.[1] In 2005 and 2006 this number decreased to 61 and 62 respectively, while the number of fatalities dropped to only four per year.[1] Of these attacks, the majority occurred in the United States (53 in 2000, 40 in 2005, and 39 in 2006).[2] The New York Times reported in July 2008 that there had been only one fatal attack in the previous year.[3] On average, there are 16 shark attacks per year in the United States with one fatality every two years.[4] Despite these reports, however, the actual number of fatal shark attacks worldwide remains uncertain. For the majority of Third World coastal nations, there exists no method of reporting suspected shark attacks; therefore, losses and fatalities at near-shore or sea there often remain unsolved or unpublicized.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man-eating_shark#Species_involved_in_incidents
Probably like a billion people a year go into the ocean...
I think it's a great educational opportunity for children.
