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Beachgoers undaunted by contamination at the cove

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Swimmers are still wading into the water at La Jolla Cove, despite a county health advisory warning of high bacteria levels at the popular beach.

“Warning! Contact with this water may cause illness,” signs posted at the cove stated. “Bacteria levels exceed health standards.”

The county issued the warning after tests showed high levels of enterococcus, a type of intestinal bacteria found in humans and animals that flags the potential presence of other harmful microbes, county spokesman Gig Conaughton said.

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The spike in bacteria isn’t uncommon, but may be lasting longer than usual. The warning took effect April 21, and has continued for two weeks.

“Historically, we’ve seen one or two water quality advisories at La Jolla Cove a year, which last a few days,” he said.

Recent water quality analysis found as many as 831 live bacteria per 100 milliliters of water — about eight times the state health standard of 104, Conaughton said. Thirty-day averages also rose above the permitted level, he said.

The bacteria could come from sea lions that haul out on the beach, as well as from birds, human water contact and urban runoff. Rain is expected through Saturday and beach water quality often worsens after a storm.

The health advisory highlights the tension between humans and wildlife in the picturesque spot, where local business owners have complained for years that odor from sea lions and birds drives away customers. Efforts to scrub the cliffs with an enzyme solution to neutralize bird droppings, or open the bluffs to foot traffic to discourage sea lions, have been only partially successful.

“We continue to have days when you can smell the effect of what’s going on at the cove, now going on for four years,” said Mark Dibella, managing director of the nearby La Valencia hotel. “That has not been resolved.”

Nonetheless, he said, he received no notice or complaints about the health advisory.

“We’re pretty attuned to the seal and sea lion odor problem, but we haven’t noticed anything affecting our business,” Dibella said.

The warning also coincides with a court order to lift a seasonal closure of nearby Children’s Pool, a swimming area popular with people and harbor seals that has also been an ongoing source of controversy.

Still, the warning didn’t appear to scare visitors from the Cove, which boasts a rich array of marine life and is popular for swimming, diving, snorkeling and sight-seeing.

At midday Thursday the area was bustling, as dozens of tourists and locals snapped photos next to the 50 or so sea lions that napped on the beach. Few braved the chilly weather to swim, but those who did said they either didn’t know or didn’t care about the health advisory.

“I’m aware of it,” said Steve Dillard, 62, of La Jolla, who said he swims at the cove three to five days a week.

“You’ve got a whole ocean that washes in and out twice a day,” he said, as he approached the water in a swimsuit and yellow swim cap for his customary hour-long dip. “As long as I’m not eating the sand, I think I’m OK.”“

Jason Lucas, a former San Diego resident who now lives in Texas, said he would consider taking a dip if the weather were warmer.

“I put my feet in,” he admitted.

Two divers could be seen in the water in dive gear and wetsuits. The area between La Jolla Cove and nearby La Jolla Shores is contained within state marine protected areas, and harbors an extraordinary range of habitat and animals.

Dense kelp forests adjoin shallow boulder reefs in the cove, extending into sandy beaches, seagrass beds and a submarine canyon at La Jolla Shores, said Ed Parnell, a research oceanographer with Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

“You have all the marine mammals that are hauling out,” he said. “It’s a biological hotspot of activity there. And it’s beautiful too, for people who want to enjoy the kelp forest, and kayaking around. And the fact that it’s protected makes some of the species more abundant.”

Bright orange garibaldi nest in the kelp forest of the cove, swimming alongside kelp bass, California sheephead, rock wrasse and giant seabass.

Ed Harris, a lifeguard sergeant for the area and San Diego mayoral candidate, said he’s concerned about the health effects of high bacteria on lifeguards, who must work in the water even during health advisories, as well as the risk to the general public. He said the city of San Diego should clean the beach as it does at other locations, and find a way to filter the animal waste from the sand.

“It’s unfortunate,” Harris said. “Because certainly the water is polluted, and the sand is polluted. La Jolla Cove is a world-class swimming destination. But if we allow the feces to percolate through the sand, it leads to contamination.”

deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com (750) 529-4941

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