2015-15 Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, California
Hello All,
Departing Monterey Bay our next adventure took us into the Big Sur Region of California. It is a rugged and scenic area along the coast. We stopped occasionally when something caught our eye just to take it all in. And, a few photos were always a must at each stop. It is truly a lovely drive with amazing coastal vistas.
A low overcast prevailed during the morning hours, which is quite typical for this area. There is little in the way of safe havens for mariners transiting this section of the coast. It would not be a good place to lose an engine, as the rocky shoreline would be quite unforgiving.
Departing Monterey Bay our next adventure took us into the Big Sur Region of California. It is a rugged and scenic area along the coast. We stopped occasionally when something caught our eye just to take it all in. And, a few photos were always a must at each stop. It is truly a lovely drive with amazing coastal vistas.
A low overcast prevailed during the morning hours, which is quite typical for this area. There is little in the way of safe havens for mariners transiting this section of the coast. It would not be a good place to lose an engine, as the rocky shoreline would be quite unforgiving.
Wildflowers were in bloom to our delight which added a bit of color for contrast with the grey gloomy sky.
As we previously mentioned it is a rugged unforgiving coastline--not one to take lightly whether you are passing by in a boat or just walking along the edge. Any error in judgment could be disastrous.
California’s All American Highway (state route 1) was built piecemeal in various stages, with the first section opening in the Big Sur region in the 1930s. The Rocky Creek Bridge below was built in 1932 and is still in use today.
We enjoy checking out the various wildflowers in the areas we travel. While many are familiar there is an equal number that we find that are completely new to us. Mother Nature never ceases to amaze us with her many varieties. The following wildflower was a first for us.
We found this grayish colored succulent growing on this cliff side to be stunning. It may be a variety of ice plant.
This one reminded us of Indian paintbrush. But, we really aren’t sure of its identity.
Periwinkles and morning glories seem to be quite common along the coast. We always find them to be lovely.
As we worked our way down the coast we came upon a group of paragliders enjoying the updrafts. They would fly from one end of a cliff face to another. When they reached the end they turned around and retraced their flight path the other direction. With the onshore breeze hitting the cliff face they could stay airborne indefinitely. They were having a great time!
Once deciding they had all the fun they could stand they simply landed on the sandy beach below. It must have been one heck of a climb back to the top as there were no roads down to the beach.
Even with the lousy weather it was still a hoot photographing them. Flying by they would grin, holler, and wave!
Once we had our fill of watching the paragliders we continued on our trek. It was a beautiful drive until we came to a section of the highway where a temporary fence had been erected on the ocean side. The fence stretched for miles and blocked our view of the coastline. Signs were attached to the fence at intervals of approximately every 100 yards. Since there was no shoulder to pull off the road, when traffic permitted, we slowed down enough to read one. In general the message was “Elephant Seal Rookery Do Not Disturb.” This perked our interest and our minds ran rampant trying to figure out how we were going to get photos of the elephant seals!
Our dilemma was resolved a few miles further down the highway when we came upon an elephant seal viewing area—problem solved. We were tickled, and to make it even better the overcast sky was beginning to burn off.
Our dilemma was resolved a few miles further down the highway when we came upon an elephant seal viewing area—problem solved. We were tickled, and to make it even better the overcast sky was beginning to burn off.
At first glance it looks like dead carcasses lining the beach. But what the still photos don’t reveal is that the seals are anything but dead. They are constantly making a grunting sound and flipping sand on themselves and their neighbors on the beach. They also jaw back and forth with each other. We spent what seemed like hours catching their antics “on film” as they used to say.
Occasionally juvenile males would rare up in mock battles jawing back and forth with each other.
It is thought that flipping sand on their body helps in keeping cool in the California sun. You can see the elephant seal in the center of this photo flipping sand on her back.
Hunted nearly to extinction for their oil-rich blubber, elephant seals have made a remarkable comeback. It started on November 25, 1990, when two dozen northern elephant seals were spotted in a small cove near the Piedras Blancas lighthouse. Every year after that, the seals returned, growing in population each time. Today more than 17,000 elephant seals call the Piedras Blancas rookery home. They are a protected species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
We learned a great deal about these amazing animals during our stay in the area. Elephant seals return to the rookery for only a few months each year to give birth, breed, and molt. They spend most of their lives at sea. Adult males go as far north as the Aleutian Islands in search of food. Females tend to head north and west. Both sexes are solitary at sea and travel great distances.
While elephant seals are at sea in search of food they dive to incredible depths. Typically they dive between 1000-2000 feet, but the record is over 5000 feet. The average length of a dive is 20 minutes, but they can dive for an hour or longer. When they resurface they only spend 2-4 minutes before diving again, and they continue this diving pattern 24 hours a day.
An adult male can weigh between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds and reach a length of 14-16 feet. Females are much smaller weighing between 900 and 1,800 pounds and attain a length of 9-12 feet. These mighty creatures derive their name from their great size and from the male's large nose. The nose is a secondary sexual characteristic and can reach the astonishing length of 2 feet. It serves to intimidate other males both through its size and its effect on their loud challenge call in the competition for females. Males begin developing their enlarged nose when they reach puberty at about five years, and it is fully developed by eight to nine years.
Human beings shed hair and skin all the time, but elephant seals go through a catastrophic molt in which the entire layer of epidermis with the hairs attached is sloughed off in one concentrated timeframe. The reason for this abrupt molt is that while at sea they spend most of their time in cold deep water. As part of the dive process the blood is diverted away from the skin. This helps them conserve energy and avoid losing body heat. By coming up on land to molt the blood can be circulated to the skin so that a new layer of epidermis and hair can be grown.
We learned a great deal about these amazing animals during our stay in the area. Elephant seals return to the rookery for only a few months each year to give birth, breed, and molt. They spend most of their lives at sea. Adult males go as far north as the Aleutian Islands in search of food. Females tend to head north and west. Both sexes are solitary at sea and travel great distances.
While elephant seals are at sea in search of food they dive to incredible depths. Typically they dive between 1000-2000 feet, but the record is over 5000 feet. The average length of a dive is 20 minutes, but they can dive for an hour or longer. When they resurface they only spend 2-4 minutes before diving again, and they continue this diving pattern 24 hours a day.
An adult male can weigh between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds and reach a length of 14-16 feet. Females are much smaller weighing between 900 and 1,800 pounds and attain a length of 9-12 feet. These mighty creatures derive their name from their great size and from the male's large nose. The nose is a secondary sexual characteristic and can reach the astonishing length of 2 feet. It serves to intimidate other males both through its size and its effect on their loud challenge call in the competition for females. Males begin developing their enlarged nose when they reach puberty at about five years, and it is fully developed by eight to nine years.
Human beings shed hair and skin all the time, but elephant seals go through a catastrophic molt in which the entire layer of epidermis with the hairs attached is sloughed off in one concentrated timeframe. The reason for this abrupt molt is that while at sea they spend most of their time in cold deep water. As part of the dive process the blood is diverted away from the skin. This helps them conserve energy and avoid losing body heat. By coming up on land to molt the blood can be circulated to the skin so that a new layer of epidermis and hair can be grown.
The breeding season begins in late November when mature bulls begin to arrive and fight to determine dominance. The females start arriving in the middle of December and continue to arrive until the middle of February. The first birth is around Christmas, but most births usually occur during the last two weeks of January. The females remain on the beach for about five weeks from the time they come ashore. Amazingly, the males are on the beach for up to 100 days. The seals are fasting while they are on land, and both males and females lose about 1/3 of their body weight during the breeding season.
Since it was the third week in April when we arrived in the area the breeding season was over. Both sexes had departed and gone to sea. What you see in our photos are females, pups, and juvenile males that have returned to the beach to molt. We were disappointed in that there were no mature males to photograph. Suspect another trip will be in our future to see mature males.
In this photo there are two brown colored females and a darker juvenile male. Note the difference in the male’s nose compared to the females. He must just be reaching puberty as his nose is just starting the growing process.
Since it was the third week in April when we arrived in the area the breeding season was over. Both sexes had departed and gone to sea. What you see in our photos are females, pups, and juvenile males that have returned to the beach to molt. We were disappointed in that there were no mature males to photograph. Suspect another trip will be in our future to see mature males.
In this photo there are two brown colored females and a darker juvenile male. Note the difference in the male’s nose compared to the females. He must just be reaching puberty as his nose is just starting the growing process.
Most of us have heard the saying “as snug as a bug in a rug.” Well, this is what we call “…as snug as a seal on the beach.”
We thoroughly enjoyed our time seeing and learning about elephant seals. They are truly a unique animal in our world.
Our next adventure will take us to the beautiful Hearst Castle at San Simeon, California. It is truly quite a fascinating place. We certainly hope you will take the tour with us.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Our next adventure will take us to the beautiful Hearst Castle at San Simeon, California. It is truly quite a fascinating place. We certainly hope you will take the tour with us.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns