Sand Dunes

Large Colony of Northern Elephant Seals

Thousands of Seals

Another View of the Colony

Group of Beta Males

Beta Male

Beta Male

Distance shot of sand dunes in the reserve. The walk to the elephant seal viewing area is about 1.5 miles on well-marked paths. During the breeding season viewing is during docent-led trips only by reservation.

The mainland herd during the season can exceed 5,000 animals, including more than 1700 pups born

Adult seals begin arriving on the beaches (males first) in early December.

Bulls weighing up to 5,000 lbs engage in battles for breeding access to females.

Pregnant females come ashore to have pups beginning in mid-December, with births reaching a peak by late January.

In a colony this size there are several herds. Each herd has a single bull male (Alpha male) that is the only male that has fought for and earned the right to breed with his harem.

Mothers are not receptive to breeding until they are done nursing their pup. Mothers nurse their pups for about a month before weaning - at which time they come into estrous and mate repeated w/ their bull male.

Neither the males nor the females eat all all during this breeding period. After mating, the females finally depart back to the sea to feed. Birthing and mating activity peak by mid February and by early March most adult seals have returned to the sea. During March, hundreds of weaned pups remain behind to rest in the dunes and learn to swim in the tide pools.

When the females depart to feed, they will eat mostly squid. The males don't leave to feed until the last female is gone. They then leave and will feed mostly on Pacific Hake, rays and small sharks.

The males that do not win the right to mate with the females either hang on the fringe of the colony hoping for an opportunity to sneak a mating in while the bull is busy or they come much further ashore, quite a distance from the colony.

These males will often get in spectacular fights with each other simply because their testosterone level is SO high (highest known level in the animal kingdom).