Seals arrive daily on the beach at Piedras Blancas. They are
young, not yet breeding age, males and females. It’s the Fall Haul-Out. They’ll
continue arriving through October. Most are males. Females mature into breeding
age sooner than males, so young females have already joined the adult
population.
As quiet as these young seals are at this time of year, they
masquerade as simply resting on the beach. That modest demeanor conceals their
success at the extremes of life. They are “exceptional, superlative,
extremophiles,” says researcher Burney Le Boeuf in his book, Elephant Seals:
Pushing the Limits on Land and at Sea.
These seals are resting between their two annual migrations:
from April to October, and from November to April. When they leave in November,
they will migrate north and west, feeding and growing. They’ll be back in
April, time for their annual molt.
Long time, no food
These young seals don’t eat for the four to six weeks they
are on the beach during this autumn retreat. They aren’t starving. Their
metabolism switches from converting food into energy and blubber to using that
blubber to meet their needs for food and water.
The beach is relatively quiet, stirred occasionally by two young males testing their dominance against each other.
Most of the juveniles will return to the ocean, to continue feeding and growing, before the adults take over the beach for breeding season, although some stragglers stay around. Perhaps they are gaining insight into the adult world they will soon join. Adult bulls begin arriving around Thanksgiving for that. Pregnant females arrive soon after. The first pup of the season is typically born in mid- to late December. Mark your calendar.
These young seals are growing into their eventual migration
patterns. Males migrate north along the continental shelf, feeding on the
bottom. Females migrate to the open ocean, feeding on small fish in the
mesopelagic layer.
On land only briefly
You may see seals holding their breath even while they are
sleeping on land. They are accustomed to holding their breath for 20 to 30 minutes
in the ocean. They spend 90 percent of their lives at sea, underwater. When
they’re out at sea, they come to the surface only for a minute or two to breathe,
then dive down again. They withstand the pressure changes from the surface to as
much as 5,000 feet, and back up again.
Superheroes!
Other viewpoints
Walk north along the boardwalk, or park in the north parking
lot and walk out along the Boucher Trail. It’s about two miles of easy walk,
with several additional places to look down on seals on the beach.
The trail leads to the Piedras Blancas Light Station, but to
tour that, you have to make a reservation.
Notice that the original light is missing from the top of the lighthouse. The light and its Fresnel lens are on display in Cambria, next to the Vets Hall. Lions Pinedorado Foundation, the Coast Guard, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Piedras Blancas Light Station Association are working to preserve the lens and its enclosure, which is rusting out and in danger of collapse. After that is secured, the various groups and agencies will seek a path forward for a better permanent location for the lens.
Local newspaper coverage here.