Just south of Cambria is an elephant seal preserve. Hundreds of elephant seals reside here. They are so interesting. I could spend half the day watching them. They sun themselves while flipping sand onto their massive bodies just like real elephants in Africa do.
Here are some juveniles sparring. The big elephant seals I'm sure weigh up to a ton. As they get old their noses hook downward, some hanging like an elephant trunk. Some will fight till the end. Luckily, we didn't have to witness anything like that. The biggest one I have ever seen once came up on shore at Jalama Beach one winter. I had to shoo some of the dummy teenagers away from him. They look like a small whale, but they can move short distances QUICKLY.
Here are a couple having a few words to each other.
Three amigos.
Above is a few movie clips I put together (about 3 1/2 minutes) ENJOY
Hard life....just lying around the beach. Ever so often moving about 25 feet closer to shore. The big ones move along like sea slugs or inch worms. No one got up and moved completely from the sand to the sea. They go along for a few feet , then plop back down and rest.
This was a pretty golden colored seal. They use their flippers (front and back) just like hands. They scratch their noses, rub their eyes and anything else you can think of. :0) December through March is breeding season. April through August is molting season. It takes them a couple of weeks to molt.
Melodie calls this picture, the invasion of Normandy. When we first arrived at their breeding ground, they were all sunning and not moving. Later, they started inching their way to the beach. Here many have lined up at the waters edge. I'm not sure what they are waiting for before going for a swim. There were several already out in the sea frolicking around.
Many chipmunk types were all over. I think they were looking for a handout. Lots of assertive squirrels like the guy in the movie.
Across the the 101 highway from the elephant seal preserve.
One could only dream of living somewhere like this!
1 comment:
I found it interesting how high they could raise their bodies up, as in past the support of their flippers.
I think I would have spent a lot of time staring at the ones that got you wondering if they were dead, you know, waiting to see if they moved or you could see them breathing:)
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