By CARLA SWIFT
This is the only time of the year visitors can see the entire family of elephant seals on the San Simeon beaches. Lounging on the sand are five-thousand-pound bulls defending their harems; nursing mothers squabbling over space; and newborn pups squawking to be fed. The exception is pups more than four weeks old who squawk because they are no longer being fed. A few fortunate visitors may even see a birth. This is by far the most exciting time of the year.
Mother elephant seals nurse the pups for only four weeks. Their pups, born at an average of 70 pounds, gain about ten pounds a day thanks to their mother’s rich milk, which can be up to 55 percent fat. Mothers, on the other hand, are losing 20 pounds a day. Much smaller than the bulls (900 to 1800 pounds), the weight loss takes a toll on her body, and soon she needs to wean her pup and return to the open seas to forage.
Weaned pups, often called “weanlings,” gather together to practice the skills they need before venturing out on their own. Splashing in the shallows, they learn to hold their breath, build their muscles, and practice their diving skills – all on their own. These chubby weanlings, now weighing between 300 and 400 pounds, splash like toddlers in a wading pool, tugging on seaweed and frolicking in the pools created by the rocks just offshore.
When the last female leaves the beach, the bulls leave also, heading north to their Alaska feeding grounds. For the rest of the year, males and females and pups will not share the beaches. Each hauls out a second time, but in a segregated pattern – females and juveniles for the spring molt; males for their summer molt; and this year’s pups and youngsters in the fall – just because they need a rest.
Visit the elephant seals at the San Simeon Elephant Seal viewing area, about 12 miles north of Cambria. Look for docents in their blue Friends of the Elephant Seal jackets who will answer questions and share a wealth of information about these incredible animals that have chosen to make our beaches their home.
