Elephant seal birthing and mating season is underway along the Central Coast, drawing thousands of the massive marine mammals to San Simeon beaches.
Each winter, elephant seals return to the Piedras Blancas Rookery, turning the area into one of the largest seasonal habitats for the species in California. Wildlife officials say activity is already ramping up.
William Kneeland, with the nonprofit Friends of the Elephant Seal, said the first pup of the season was born in mid-December.
“January is the busiest month for birthing, and so we expect to see quite a few births this winter,” Kneeland said. “Last winter at the elephant seal rookery in San Simeon, there were about 4,000 pups born, and we anticipate about the same number this year.”
Visitors can currently see multiple stages of the elephant seal life cycle on the beach—from newborn pups and nursing mothers to pregnant females preparing to give birth. Adult males, known as bulls, have also arrived and can be seen guarding groups of females.
“And when the time is right, [they] will be mating with the female elephant seals,” Kneeland said.
The bulls sometimes stretch up to 16 feet long and weigh as much as 5,000 pounds.
Officials say the best way to view the animals is from nearby trails and an elevated boardwalk in northern San Simeon, where the public can observe the seals from a safe distance at no cost. Visitors are reminded that approaching or disturbing elephant seals is illegal under federal law.
Elephant seal birthing season typically runs through February.
