Except for a time in the 1800s when they were practically slaughtered into extinction, northern elephant seals have been congregating on the beaches of Año Nuevo State Park in California to fight, mate, give birth and molt. Between December and March, this low spit of land, which is slowly being washed away by the Pacific Ocean, is the site of the largest mainland breeding ground in the world for this species of elephant seal.

Elephant seals are so named because of the long pendulous nose on the males. Between 14-16 feet long and weighing as much as 2.5 tons, the male elephant seals spend the month of December (when they arrive from the Aleutian Islands, Alaska) engaging in fierce, noisy battles to determine who is the biggest, baddest bull on the beach — the alpha. This is the bull that will do most of the breeding, at least that particular year.

In late December the female elephant seals arrive from the South Pacific and organize themselves into harems on the beach. They are considerably smaller than the males, about 10-12 feet long and weighing between 1,200 and 2,000 lbs. About a week after their arrival, the females give birth to a single pup conceived the previous year.

An elephant seal pup weighs about 75 pounds at birth. After nursing for about 25-28 days, it will have grown to about 250-350 pounds. According to our naturalist guide, the milk of the female elephant seal is as thick as mayonnaise, providing the growing pup with highly nutritious meals. At some point the females will wean the pups and, having mated with the bulls, simply swim away, leaving the pups on their own to figure out how to be elephant seals.

From December to March you can visit the Año Nuevo State Park breeding ground, escorted by a ranger or a naturalist. A typical walk is about 3 miles long over paths and sand dunes. The trailside is a thick mass of vegetation — grass, coyote brush, and poison oak – rustling in the wind that blows endlessly off the Pacific Ocean. Bushes of flowering pussy willows signal the imminent arrival of spring (the bark of the pussy willow was chewed by the Native Americans as a painkiller — aspirin).

As you scale a large sand dune, the bellowing of the male elephant seals can be heard. The naturalist describes this sound as “a motorcycle in a drain pipe.” Here and there single elephant seals sleep in the grass, periodically raising their heads to survey the surroundings.  As you look down toward the ocean from the top of the dune, thousands of wrinkly elephant seals can be seen across the beach. The newborns suckle their mother while huge males periodically rear up on the beach to ensure that the opposition is not encroaching into their territory.

Suddenly, fierce bellowing erupts as the huge alpha male spies a younger male trying to sneak into his harem. Propelling himself across the sand at high speed, his nose swinging wildly, the alpha male repeatedly body slams the smaller male. He chases him across the beach before sinking his enormous teeth into his back. Quickly the terrified young elephant seal slinks off to nurse his wounds in a pool of mud. This is survival of the fittest at its most graphic. Make no mistake, elephant seals are extremely dangerous and very fast. They are capable of killing a human, so you do not want to get too close to them.

As you look across the ocean, you will see Año Nuevo Island, the former site of an old lighthouse that was decommissioned in the 1940s. The decrepit lighthouse keeper’s house is still standing, now home to elephant seals, sea lions, and birds.  During the walk through the dunes, the naturalist points out the remnants of the Ohlone, a Native American tribe that made its home along these shores before the arrival of the Spanish. Arrowheads, flints, and cooking stones have all been found, reminding you that others have been here before you.

A visit to Año Nuevo State Park (named by the Spanish explorer, Sebastian Vizcaino in January 1603 to commemorate the start of the year) is a unique opportunity to witness these massive mammals in their natural setting before they depart on their next long journey.

IF YOU GO
Año Nuevo is located west of Highway 1 between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay, about 55 miles south of San Francisco. Reservations are required to view the elephant seals and are accepted starting 1 October through 28 February 0900 to 1700. There is a small fee and a parking fee when you get to the reserve (cash only)