Wildlife experts and crowds of gawkers are getting ready for the arrival of male elephant seals in San Simeon.
Dr. William Kneeland is chief executive officer at the Friends of the Elephant Seal Center, a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about the animal.
“So typically the adult male elephant seals start to return to the rookery around mid to late November, so anytime now really within the next week or two we should see the big males start to return,” he said.
Kneeland said the migration from Alaska marks the beginning of the mating season. Some call it the “Battle of the Bulls” as the massive creatures fight over would-be mates.
It’s a big deal in San Simeon, and it prompts a local contest each year.
“The contest is to guess the date that the first bull elephant seal arrives at the rookery for the start of the birthing and breeding season,” Kneeland said.
Kneeland said the mating season lasts into March.
