Back for Haul-Out!

Young seals have the beach to themselves

Every day, more young seals arrive at Piedras Blancas elephant seal beaches. They are here for the annual haul-out.

Hundreds of them sleep on the beach and spar with each other, on the sand and in the water. You can tell a lot about them by observing their size, nose development, scars, and identification tags and marks.

Seals or sardines? Young seals sleep peacefully on the sand. (Christine Heinrichs photo)

Which seal is which

Bigger seals are older seals, but the smallest may be the Young of the Year, last year’s pups returning from their first migration. Big welcome back for those that survived!

Most of the young seals are males. Although half of pups born are male and half are female, females mature faster. Some are pregnant by two years old, and nearly all by age four. They have already joined the adult herd, so more males are among the juveniles on the beach now.

Males start growing that distinctive nose when they are about five. It continues to grow throughout their lives. Compare nose size among the young seals on the sand for relative age.

 Two young seals show off their growing noses as they spar in the surf. (Chrisitne Heinrichs photo)

Migratory seals

Most young seals don’t have many scars, but they may have tags or dyed identification numbers. This is a Citizen Science opportunity. Report any identifying marks to Friends of the Elephant Seal docents, or go to the website to submit a report.

Reports of marked and tagged seals tells the researchers who marked them where the seals are now. That research has revealed how far the seals traveled, further than even the scientists imagined.

Compare the migration of juveniles and adult seals on the maps at UC Santa Cruz’s Beltran Lab.

Seals differ in their migratory timing. Some juveniles don’t return in the fall at all. Because they are always coming and going, every day is different at the viewpoint. They aren’t like a flock of birds or a herd of wildebeests. Each seal is gradually adjusting when to arrive and depart. As they mature, they will coordinate their migrations with the rest of the adults, and join the breeding herd in December.

San Simeon Cove Winter Guides

Friends of the Elephant Seal is recruiting volunteers for special duty at San Simeon Cove, December through March. That’s elephant seal breeding season. Although Piedras Blancas rookery is the main local breeding area, subdominant bulls that are chased off those beaches often come to San Simeon Cove to rest and recuperate from their battle wounds.

That can be a problem, when human visitors and their dogs come to the beach. They don’t expect to share the beach with two-ton seals. FES’s trained Winter Guides help keep everyone safe by advising visitors how to navigate around the seals. It’s a teachable moment for the public to learn about the wildlife who whom we share the world.

The bull seals aren’t aggressive toward beachgoers, but they can be dangerous. Visitors need to keep their dogs from annoying the seals, and stay well back. Seals may challenge each other, or decide to return to the ocean without warning to visitors strolling down the beach.

FES trains volunteers to educate the public and help everyone enjoy visiting the beach. Join them by applying online by October 16. Questions? Call 805-924-1628. Must be 18 or older. Commit to two four-hour shifts a month, December through March. Must be friendly, outgoing, able to stand for three to four hours and walk on the beach in a variety of weather conditions – and love the seals.

“This is a great opportunity to learn more about elephant seal behavior in a unique environment,” FES board president Kathy Curtis said in a press release. “Seasonal residents, weekend travelers, couples, students and full-time employees are encouraged to apply for this short-term volunteer experience.”