March

Northern elephant seals cover thebeach at Piedras Blancas.Sea otters play in the waters ofMorro Bay.an assortment of gulls, shorebirds, seaotters, sea lions, harbor seals and graywhales migrating south to Baja. But wewere closest to a massive herd of elephantseals hauled out on the beachesnear San Simeon.There’s nothing like observing ahuge group of elephant seals. They arefun to watch whether they’re sleeping,fighting, flipping sand up on their bodiesto cool off, moving their huge blubberybodies on shore or nursing theirpups. The herd is a potpourri of sightsand sounds. We visited in late Decemberand saw pregnant cows, cows withnewborn pups and bulls patrolling thebeach, proclaiming dominance withbooming threats and nips at each other.One of the best things about the elephantseals at Piedras Blancas is thatthey are easy to view. Just drive up inyour RV and you’re there. Better yet, getout and walk the boardwalk that parallelsthe beach for safe and easy viewing.Although you may see elephantseals at Piedras Blancas anytime of theyear, the action really begins in November.Swimming in from the cold watersof Alaska, where they spend the summer,the enormous males are the firstto come on shore, establishing territories.Adult males are humongous creatureswith blubbery bodies stretchingup to 16 feet long, rough crusty necksand floppy noses that give them theirname. The big males fast while they areon the beach, so that means they arewithout food from November throughFebruary. Weighing as much as 5,000pounds in November, the males maylose as much as 40 percent of theirweight by February.Females weigh from 900 to 1,800pounds. As they come on shore thedominant males assemble harems of 30to 40 females and wait for their chanceto breed. The females arrive after anequally long migration, ready to fast,give birth, nurse their baby and mate.Raising a pup is hard work. The mothernurses the 60- to 80-pound (when it isBully Dog, 116 on Reader Service CardTRAILER LIFE March 2012 43Go To:.comUser GuideContents