Weaners rule!

Most of the mothers are gone, leaving their weaned pups to manage on the beach. They are doing fine, as these fat youngsters show.

These active ones practice swimming in the pool under the culvert. I like to think that this water is relatively clean. It's runoff from the ranchland across the road. There's no chemical fertilizer or pesticides used there, it's open land. I hardly ever even see cows on it.

That beachmaster male keeps a close eye on the females that remain. They'll be leaving soon. This female decided it was time for her to leave, creating excitement among the subdominant bulls that were keeping their distance from the beachmaster. He fought with a few, which made the rest retreat.

He followed her down to the water's edge to mate with her. I like to think that being close to the water helped her escape the attentions of the other males.

The California Report interviewed an elephant seal docent at Pescadero for its Giving State series on volunteers.