We would be making a quick stop there on our way down...
Along the PCH, we enjoyed views like this:
Before going to the rookery, we stopped at t his old looking business center where the main office of Friends of the Elephant Seals were. I wanted to pick up some information since I wasn't quite sure where it was. Just our luck, their offices were closed but there were informational pamphlets for the taking which told us that the elephant seals were seven miles up the coast.
The good thing about this lookout point? FREE FREE FREE!
You can smell them before you can even see them! Several were frolicking in the ocean but more were on the beach itself.
These creatures are huge!!! Many were flipping sand over themselves. Some were displaying alpha male behavior. Most of them were just sleeping.
Apparently, there are thousands more during certain times of the year. This particular time happened to be molting season. There weren't so many elephant seals that day but this was still a magnificent opportunity to see these animals within such a close (but safe) range.
You can see the old skin sloughing off some of the elephant seals. One of them was flipping sand when I took the photo.
Here is someone's video of the seals (in greater numbers):
Pretty cool! We spent about half an hour there...
Info:
"Visit the elephant seals" SLO Visitors Guide
Friends of the Elephant Seals (at the Cavalier Plaza)
250 San Simeon Ave., Suite 3B
San Simeon, CA 93452
(805) 924-1628
www.elephantseal.org
Site of the Elephant Seals will be 7 miles up from the office at Cavalier Plaza.
Up next - Forget Hearst Castle! We just had to see this man's ultimate tribute in 'repurposing' his home!!!
2 comments:
I'm still fascinated by these elephant seals when I see them on NatGeo or Planet Earth on TV. It's always scary to see two of the male ones fighting each other and getting bloody in the face. We visited La Jolla over the weekend and didn't see (or is it smell) many regular seals at all. Do the elephant seals ever migrate here to SD?
Hi Faye - some of those big males were very aggressive! omg, i got a bit scared seeing them gnash their teeth and attack each other.
i don't know if they elephant seals go down to s.d. they seem to like the central coast! the seals at la jolla cove are diff't seals. they took over and i heard that the smell is pretty awful. :(
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