Home»All Photographs»USA»2004»11 - Central California, Cambria and Hearst Castle»Elephant Seals

During the winter months of November-January, elephant seals, heavy after the summer feeding months, come to the sandy beachesto give birth to pups and nurse them. This colony along Pedras Blancas is one of the largest along the coast andthe viewing is free! Besides the pups, sometimes the males engage each another in a mock battle that can becomequite bloody! Although we seem pretty close to the seals, there are clear barriers. The seals (especially the superlarge one that seems to make its way up from the ocean in only a few heavy steps at a time) can be surprisinglyfast over short distances. Their croaking sound sounds like a boat motor starting up, and gets deeper with size.