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Encounter Elephant Seals Breeding at Piedras Blancas Beach

Published by Camilla Cheung, Writer

Country: United States

The Experience

The cries of the elephant seals reached our ears as we walked along the boardwalk towards Piedras Blancas Beach along the Central Coast of California. Strange popping sounds heralded the huge males as they threatened each other for beach territory, while the females wailed as they nursed their young. The vast expanse of beach was completely covered by a mass of milling, blubbery bodies, reminiscent of overstuffed sausages, yet surprisingly agile. A huge male, his large snout hanging like an elephant's trunk (from whence the elephant seals get their name), rose onto his front flippers and chased another male down the beach, his multiple-ton body moving with astonishing rapidity.

December through March is breeding season for the elephant seals at Piedras Blancas beach, and visitors lucky enough to catch the elephant seals (the largest of the seals) as the season culminates around Valentine's Day can see them in various stages of nursing, fighting, and mating. The sight of a gigantic male, his throat calloused and scarred from hundreds of battles, propositioning one of the smaller females (smaller but still huge) is an amazing sight. If you're lucky you may get a glimpse of the two mating, the male wrapping his front flippers around the smaller female’s body. It is a miracle of nature. Impregnated, the female is then free to return to the sea and head towards the rich feeding grounds up the Alaskan coast.

The elephant seals at Piedras Blancas Beach stay here for months at a time. The females have birthed, nursed, and weaned their young, and in the meantime, without food, have lost a third of their body weight. They are eager to mate and get back into the water so they can feed. Their pups, fattened by the rich mother’s milk, will stay behind in the shallows until they build enough muscle to follow the adult elephant seals to the feeding grounds.

The elephant seals are the largest seal species, with the bulls weighing up to 6000 pounds (2700 kg) and the cows weighing up to 2000 pounds (900 kg). At Piedras Blancas elephant seels can be seen at various times throughout the year, but the best time to see them is from December to March, during their breeding season.

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When to Go to Piedras Blancas

Piedras Blancas Beach is located off Highway 1 of the Californian Central Coast just south of San Simeon. The elephant seal breeding season is between December - March, with some adult females returning to the beach between April-June. Some of the young juvenile seals will return to the beach to rest in October and November.

Keep in mind that although they may look slow, the elephant seals, especially the bulls, can move faster than you can run. Do not approach the seals - even the young can be dangerous. Keep dogs on a leash and away from the elephant seals.

Odds n' Ends

Admission to the beach at Piedras Blancas is free. The organization Friends of the Elephant Seal have volunteer docents at the site to provide information and answer questions.

The wind can be brisk at Piedras Blancas Beach. If you are visiting during the winter, bring a warm jacket to ensure your viewing experience is comfortable.

More Experiences Nearby

Tour a Millionaire's Playground at Hearst Castle, California
If you’re driving midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on scenic Highway 1, look up into the hills of San Simeon and you may see, in the distance, several white towers and flying pennants. Look closely, and you may see a few zebras grazing on the grassy hillsides of this part of California. No, you’re not dreaming. You’ve just found millionaire William Randolph Hearst’s personal playground: Hearst Castle. Hearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark that is now operated by California State Parks; but it was originally built as a private residence by newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst in ...6 miles away.

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Books and DVDs

Point Piedras Blancas - Images of America: California
A Seal's Life - The Story of the Northern Elephant Seal
California Regional Guide Lonely Planet

Elsewhere on the Web

Friends of the Elephant Seals - ElephantSeal.org
Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Information - Oceanlight.com

Media References

Birthing seals create headache on highway - Boston.com (newspaper)

Language Guides

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