Just when you thought every angle of the La Jolla seals ordeal had been exhausted, someone conducts a scientific study.
A survey conducted by the Competitive Edge Research & Communication firm found that 7 percent fewer adults would visit La Jolla children’s pool this summer if the city removes the seals that have taken up residence there.
Of the 504 San Diegans questioned, 43 percent said they planned on visiting the children’s pool this summer. But only 36 percent said they’d make the trip if the seals are forced out. That 7 percent drop represents about 70,000 fewer visitors this summer, the research firm found.
More than 60 percent of the respondents said they opposed city efforts to get rid of the seals. Twenty-five percent think they should be removed.
The study, which only surveyed adults, broke the responses down by age and gender, and found that, (surprise?), women between the ages of 18 and 34 were most likely to support letting the seals stay, at 93 percent.
Those most likely to want them gone? Old men. (Surprise?). Forty-five percent of men older than 55 supported getting rid of them, compared to 40 percent who said they should be left alone.