SAN DIEGO — Humans will have to stay out of Children’s Pool in La Jolla for the next five months thanks to a 10-year agreement between city leaders, seal advocates and the California Coastal Commission.

The agreement provided harbor seals with a protected place to bear and rear their pups, according to the Seal Conservancy of La Jolla . From Dec. 15 through May 15 the public is not allowed to walk on the beach for fear of disturbing the seals who take up residence in the historic man-made cove.

“The beach will be closed for 5 months for harbor seal pupping season and then reopened for joint use with a. guideline rope,” said Seal Conservancy member Adrian Kwiatokowski.

Some La Jolla residents oppose banning the public from the Children’s Pool.

“I think it’s incredibly wrong. I just keep coming back to restriction for one is restriction for all,” said La Jolla resident Heather Reeves. “The Children’s Pool was created to give children a safe place to swim.”

The agreement, hammered out by the city and the Coastal Commission, is expected to remain in place for 10 years until 2029.

“There is no conflict. It’s been resolved with peace and quiet. The people simply do not go on the sand during those five months,” said Dr. Jane Reldan, the president of the Seal Conservancy.