La Jolla ‘Bubble Pirate’ Cited for Liquid Littering
The famous La Jolla “Bubble Pirate” has reportedly been busted for apparent littering of a prohibited fluid.
For those unfamiliar, the “Bubble Pirate” has been performing bubble-based creative displays at the La Jolla Cove park for years. According to FOX 5 San Diego, he was cited by a local park ranger on Saturday, Aug. 24.
The Bubble Pirate is the creative alter ego of 63-year-old Sandy Snakenberg, a U.S. Navy Veteran who has put on bubble shows for San Diego families for years. He picked up the trade of bubble art — which he calls “bubbleology” — while living in Singapore.
According to city officials, chemical residue from the bubbles that Snakenberg produces falls under littering restrictions in the city’s park use law.
Despite the setback in La Jolla, Snakenberg said he plans to fight the ticket in court. However, he indicated that further citations could put his livelihood at risk, since he runs a bubbleology nonprofit called Bubble World. More than that, Snakenberg added that he performs because of the joy it brings to others.
For the city’s part, a spokesperson said that the park ranger cited Snakenberg after other park goers complained, and the city received “numerous” violations. The spokesperson pointed out that the ranger issued the lowest citation that they could.
Snakenberg said he’s planning on bringing his bubble show back to La Jolla Cove on Sunday and Monday. Despite the citation, the Bubble Pirate said that his creative displays are woven into the fabric of San Diego’s culture now.
“There’s kids … who have been watching me since they were six years old, and now they’re 16,” said Snakenberg. “It’s not just my livelihood, it’s something that is actually part of the community now.”
This is not the first time that city officials have cracked down on park activities. Earlier this year, authorities banned beachside outdoor yoga classes in San Diego parks.
Media credits: Image licensed from Adobe
Mike Peterson is a writer, editor, and strategist based in San Diego. When he’s not writing and editing the La Jolla news, you can often find him practicing yoga, rock climbing, or exploring the outdoors with his wife and dog.
