What time of year are the elephant seals in San Simeon?

Elephant Seals are seen year-round at the Piedras Blancas Rookery. Best times of year to see these amazing animals in action are October through May with the big show (birthing and breeding) in January and February. Come see these magnificent marine mammals up close on one of the prettiest coastlines in California.

Where is the best place to see the elephant seals in San Simeon?

Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery
The Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery includes 6 miles of beach, located about 90 miles south of Monterey and 5 miles north of Hearst Castle in San Simeon. The best viewing area is 1.5 miles south of Point Piedras Blancas, and it’s open and free to the public every day.

Where are the elephant seals in California?

One is located at Año Nuevo State Park along the San Mateo Coast south of San Francisco. The other is Hearst-San Simeon State Park and the elephant seal vista point located about 5 miles north of Hearst Castle along the coast of San Luis Obispo County.

Where are the elephant seals on the 1?

The Elephant Seal Viewing area is located in San Simeon, California, 4.5 miles north of the Hearst Castle entrance on Hwy 1.

Why do elephant seals throw sand on their backs?

Why do they flip sand? Their bodies are designed to keep warm in cold water. Sand flipping helps them keep cool on land by acting as a sunscreen. In addition, they sometimes can be seen flipping sand under stressful conditions.

How many elephant seals are in California?

It’s estimated that there are 150,000 individuals, with 124,000 in California waters. Elephant seals molt each year between April and August, shedding not only their hair but also the top layer of their skin.

What beach has seals in California?

One of the best places to see sea lions in California is at La Jolla Cove (an excellent sea lion beach in California). However, they are all up and down the California coast. Other places include San Simeon, Channel Islands National Park and Marine Sanctuary, Pier 39 in San Francisco, and King Harbor in Redondo Beach.

Are the elephant seals at Ano Nuevo?

Año Nuevo State Park is breathtaking in every season as the elephant seals can be viewed year-round.

Is San Simeon open?

COVID-19. San Simeon is open and excited to welcome visitors back to our coastal getaway. Businesses are open and no other COVID related travel restrictions are in-place at this time. There are a few businesses that are temporarily closed.

What is bigger an elephant seal or a walrus?

Among the most amazing of pinnipeds are the elephant seals. They are the biggest of pinnipeds – bigger even than walruses – there being a record of a giant male Southern elephant seal that was between 6.5 and 6.8 m long and weighed over 4000 kg (Carwardine 1995).

Why do elephant seals sleep on beach?

Elephant seals tend to sleep a lot while ashore fasting during the birthing period and during the catastrophic molting period as this helps them conserve energy. In a sense, one can say, that they’re experiencing a form of hibernation as they not only sleep a lot but also exhibit a drop in their metabolic rate.

What are elephant seal babies called?

pup
Sea elephants, as these seals are sometimes called, give birth in late winter to a single pup and nurse it for approximately a month. While suckling their young, females do not eat—both mother and child live off the energy stored in ample reserves of her blubber.

Where are elephant seals located in California?

The Elephant Seal – The Central Coast of California is proud to be the land based home of the Majestic Elephant Seals. The seals are located just north of San Simeon, Ca. and you can view the seals year round.

Where to see elephant seals?

Where to See Elephant Seals. One of the best, guaranteed sites to see any wildlife is Piedras Blancas Rookery, near San Simeon, California. It is a magnificent experience, watching the Elephant Seals.