LA JOLLA – The offensive smells from wildlife excrement at La Jolla Cove, a problem first highlighted in 2016, have re-emerged after a brief respite. Authorities had previously attempted to mitigate the odors by spraying an environmentally safe product made from bacillus bacteria, dubbed “odor eaters,” to alleviate the stench caused by bird and marine mammal waste.
Despite those efforts, local residents and businesses report that the foul smells, predominantly from bird guano, have persisted over the years, particularly impacting those living or working upwind in La Jolla Village.
Megan Heine, co-owner of Brockton Villa, shared her concerns, stating, “The spraying only happened a few times about three mayors ago.” Heine noted the strong odors resulting from increased bird populations, adding, “Some days are better than others. At Brockton Villa, we use ‘scent air’ fans to mitigate any odor so people don’t complain once they’re in our restaurant.”
Despite the unpleasant situation, Heine emphasized that there has been no recent effort from the city to address the problem. She also highlighted ongoing tensions between wildlife and human access at the Cove.
Back in 2016, the city’s response to the repugnant odors caused by the accumulation of bird droppings attracted both national media attention and local outrage, particularly from La Jolla restaurateurs and the La Jolla Village Merchants Association. The city then sought various proposals from numerous sources, exploring solutions that ranged from utilizing biologically based cleaners to the more unconventional idea of employing trained falcons as natural predators to scare birds away.
Each proposed solution, however, faced one significant hurdle: it had to be environmentally safe to prevent contamination of the ocean from runoff produced during the cleaning process.
Ultimately, the city opted for a service from Blue Eagle, a firm based in San Rafael, which specializes in using bacillus bacteria to break down bird droppings. The bacteria were specifically chosen for their effectiveness in digesting waste and their safety, producing carbon dioxide and water as byproducts.
For a while, this strategy seemed to have worked. However, recent confirmations from the city indicate that the effectiveness of the treatment has long faded.
Benny Cartwright, the supervising city spokesperson, explained, “The city has long worked to address persistent odor concerns at the La Jolla bluffs, which are caused by natural accumulations of seabird and marine mammal waste.” He detailed that an organic, enzyme-based treatment was applied in previous years as part of an odor mitigation strategy that utilized beneficial microbes to break down animal waste.
Sadly, the treatment was paused in 2023 following communication from the Regional Water Quality Control Board, which sought additional information regarding the project’s environmental impact. Although these inquiries have been resolved, the city is still engaged in internal assessments for the treatment’s potential resumption.
Cartwright confirmed that any future application would next depend on ongoing discussions with regulatory agencies and internal evaluations of environmental impacts. He emphasized, “Any application would continue to be guided by established best management practices, including avoidance of application during or near the presence of marine mammals using on-site biological monitoring, and implementation only under appropriate weather and tide conditions.”
The next steps toward a solution for the odor problem hinge on these ongoing reviews and the complexities of managing the delicate relationship between wildlife and human enjoyment of La Jolla Cove.
As residents and local business owners continue to deal with the offensive smells, the hope remains that the city will act swiftly to address this long-standing issue.
image source from：timesofsandiego
