The beach around Carpinteria’s harbor seal rookery at the base of Casitas Pier closed this week to protect the seals as they prepare for pupping season. 

The area closed on Dec. 1 and will remain closed until May 31 as part of an annual closure during the time of year new seals are born. The closure extends 750 feet east and west on Carpinteria State Beach and 1,000 feet out into the ocean. View a map here.

Around 60 seals are born each year at the Carpinteria rookery, according to the Santa Barbara Channelkeeper. 

Seals typically return to the same spot throughout their lives for resting and birthing. They spend around seven to 12 hours a day resting on the sand.

“Harbor seals are not endangered but rookeries and haul out sites on the mainland coast are dwindling due to coastal development and human activity,” Channelkeeper shared in a statement posted online. “This closure is important to protect the harbor seals as they prepare for pupping season and to prevent disturbances that can lead to pup mortality.”

A volunteer community group known as Carpinteria Seal Watch has observed a steady decline in the adult and pup seal population in the past several years.

In 2015, the group observed 396 adult seals and more than 80 pups. In 2021, they observed 220 adult seals and 64 pups, according to a 2024 report from a city harbor seal advisory committee.

Committee members believed that disturbances to the seals, such as loud noises, people walking through the rookery and dogs off leash, are the main causes for the population decline.

The committee recommended that the city close the rookery for three years to allow the seal population to recover. 

However, the city would have to get permission from the California Coastal Commission, and city staff estimated that it would cost approximately $380,000 annually just for the park rangers and a senior park planner to oversee the closure and submit reports to the commission. 

In February, the Carpinteria City Council directed city staff members to get more information about what data the Coastal Commission would need to approve a beach closure, and the potential costs.

The best way to see the seals during the closure is from the Seal Watch Overlook which can be accessed from the Coastal Vista Trail with parking available at 499 Linden Ave.