Return of the Elephant Seal

[woodsorrel]

Hi Everyone!

What animal is the size of a Chevy Suburban, weighs as much as two American football teams (offence and defense), and dives 2,000 feet below the ocean's surface?

January is the best month to visit the elephant seal colony where I live. The beach is swarming with gigantic males battling for territory. Females are giving birth and nursing their young. But my visit this year occurred at the end of February. By this time most of the seals have returned to sea. The population is dominated by weaners.

Weaners are elephant seal babies that have finished nursing. But they are not fully developed. Their eyesight is poor, they do not know how to swim, and they do not know what to eat. So they hang out in groups on the beach and try not to get trampled by rampaging males. They continue to develop and begin to explore their surroundings. This makes trouble for the park rangers and docents. The weaners end up in unexpected places.

Here is a picture of a weaner:

The colony is at Ano Nuevo, in northern California. The setting is spectacular.

It was interesting to visit the colony so late in the mating season. While I missed the large males, there was still plenty to see. We had to detour around weaners, we saw some of the life and death on the beach, and we witnessed the gauntlet that females have to run to return to sea. We also found a midden hidden beneath the sand.

Here are more pictures and details of the trip as well as facts about elephant seals.

Elephant Seals at Ano Nuevo


Has anyone had the chance to walk through a large colony of animals before?


- Woodsorrel

 

[The Cumbrian]

I was lucky enough to visit South Georgia where these beasties are very common. The bulls are massive, they don't like being approached too close and they move surprisingly quickly for their size.

I didn't know that California was part of their range.

Cheers, Michael.

 

[mrcharly]

Loved that report

Interesting to read about the sea lions. If that has happened 3 years in a row, it must have a major, major effect on the population.

 

[Disco1]

Seen plenty of elephant seals in the Falklands got some photos somewhere.

 

[Tengu]

My seals are a bit smaller than yours. These are Grey seals.

I have walked though the park of the Chillingham wild cattle, of Northumberland.

 

[woodsorrel]

I was lucky enough to visit South Georgia where these beasties are very common. The bulls are massive, they don't like being approached too close and they move surprisingly quickly for their size.

I didn't know that California was part of their range.

Cheers, Michael.

Michael, there are two distinct types of elephant seal. The largest seal in the world is the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina). These are the ones you saw. The ones near me are the second largest, the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris). They are both humongous!

Did you see any of the males fighting? Their battles are something to behold! If I had visited the colony in January, I would have witnessed a string of running battles.

- Woodsorrel

 

[woodsorrel]

Loved that report

Interesting to read about the sea lions. If that has happened 3 years in a row, it must have a major, major effect on the population.

mrcharly, nobody is quite certain what is happening to the sea lions. It mostly affects pups, who are found on the beaches healthy but starving.

Since sea lions are "plentiful" compared to other species, the general public has yet to become alarmed at the strandings and deaths. But there are groups of scientists monitoring the situation to try to determine the cause. There is the possibility that this is a normal correction in the sea lion population.

In the meantime, all the local marine mammal rehabilitation centers are overflowing with emaciated sea lion pups.

- Woodsorrel

 

[woodsorrel]

... My seals are a bit smaller than yours. These are Grey seals.

I have walked though the park of the Chillingham wild cattle, of Northumberland.

Cool picture, Tengu. I bet your seals were more active than the ones I saw.

- Woodsorrel