tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600353045530393482024-03-14T11:09:15.081-07:00Elephant Seals of Piedras BlancasThis blog records my experiences as a docent at the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery on Highway 1 in California. Winter is the pup and breeding season. This bull trumpets over the fat weanlings and their mothers who are being inundated by a King Tide.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger379125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-40684500498660278072024-03-14T11:08:00.000-07:002024-03-14T11:08:38.287-07:00Pups wean, their first steps to independence<p><a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article285988261.html " target="_blank"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">They
prepare for their first migration</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Born in just the
past two months, elephant seal pups at Piedras Blancas are getting ready to set
out on their first migration. They are ready to launch.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Fat and sleepy</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Weanling
pups are easy to recognize. They are fat, even roly-poly. They were born all
black, but now are countershaded, light on the belly and dark on the
back. They will have that color pattern for the rest of their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCyMO217YBUaJgxIG23EZSEKaBiljxt5OhbXKEyZDpvcrgWzQFsCRkObuvQ29PAwGAgUDMzFiR4FfD9tx6ObLPweKu4g_TLPM9DTNLFViZ3_WjOB8D56a2sq1VfKspJm6-hpsHH6c_mTpcV_4HQbUsncTISIOXsS0Sz_H63z5vOTxreJa-tu24xWAc1E/s4864/weaners%20(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="4864" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCyMO217YBUaJgxIG23EZSEKaBiljxt5OhbXKEyZDpvcrgWzQFsCRkObuvQ29PAwGAgUDMzFiR4FfD9tx6ObLPweKu4g_TLPM9DTNLFViZ3_WjOB8D56a2sq1VfKspJm6-hpsHH6c_mTpcV_4HQbUsncTISIOXsS0Sz_H63z5vOTxreJa-tu24xWAc1E/w400-h300/weaners%20(3).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Weaning
is a major transition in their lives. They go from gaining weight fast, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">from 75 pounds at
birth to over 200 pounds in a month, to no food at all. Long fasts, periods of
not eating, are a feature of elephant seal life. This is their first fast. They
need their blubber to get them through to the next stage, migration.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Adult seals breeding
drama</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Pups</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
congregate in groups, called pods, on the beach. They stay out of the way of
the adults, who are still in the drama of breeding. Bulls trumpet and fight,
females bawl. Weanlings stay out of the way and sleep. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9gAqqtDeHtkhCbSupQASTbDltby1n_-AEdtg2qFQ-ktiY2XBultfI3mxWw-XAAir5EW8T7f6DzPbCkzc_lS_jMjsbltAX-PQANmJUerPD2sIkzxggYj95pEjDTbYlcRwukueMCtiyISUxzGqX6EN4BIolSCGUkQLSPUQlKDRZB-90F4tJuanM4dxwpQ/s2432/Bulls%20fighting%20(8).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2432" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9gAqqtDeHtkhCbSupQASTbDltby1n_-AEdtg2qFQ-ktiY2XBultfI3mxWw-XAAir5EW8T7f6DzPbCkzc_lS_jMjsbltAX-PQANmJUerPD2sIkzxggYj95pEjDTbYlcRwukueMCtiyISUxzGqX6EN4BIolSCGUkQLSPUQlKDRZB-90F4tJuanM4dxwpQ/w400-h300/Bulls%20fighting%20(8).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">As the
mothers come to the end of lactation, they are at their thinnest. Their blubber
has been metabolized into milk, feeding those chubby weanlings. Neither they
nor the bulls have had anything to eat since they arrived on the beach. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9H8RGX_pp0OwTXPVb5gMz68yz0jwdyRQv46EK40E_0zOf0QwLZF2DgvNYzYcr42Hvp4mlzYS6Jo5gRN8E2gbnjty4_0j11YJfjHQnhyphenhyphendjJQZzwLcEToiQHIBXpeRhZgA1uay340x_xEFhp33eG3cQTrsF1a3D8oPHt6_rPCYqoAOj-YewJroZ5z-Aas/s2736/Thin%20female.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9H8RGX_pp0OwTXPVb5gMz68yz0jwdyRQv46EK40E_0zOf0QwLZF2DgvNYzYcr42Hvp4mlzYS6Jo5gRN8E2gbnjty4_0j11YJfjHQnhyphenhyphendjJQZzwLcEToiQHIBXpeRhZgA1uay340x_xEFhp33eG3cQTrsF1a3D8oPHt6_rPCYqoAOj-YewJroZ5z-Aas/w400-h266/Thin%20female.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Females come
into estrus as they wean their pups. They are then ready to mate with the
bulls. That’s when the bulls get competitive. Earlier battles were over
territory. Now, they battle over breeding. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Look for
bulls raising their heads to stare at each other. One or the other will make a
move, and one may back off from a fight. It’s called dominance interaction,
displacement. From the viewing area, visitors can see which bull is
dominant. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">If
neither backs down, they’ll battle. The loser may leave the beach entirely,
finding another beach to recover. Deaths are rare. Both live to fight, and
breed, another day.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxAXtTUYwM20Ml0EsewAAsxwtS2d3rMTWrWgIa5CXL11tBTanynxUp0jAviA7chQv6iux-bMD8-FF6u_ClxDA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Swim
School</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although the weanlings are quiet, for the next eight
to 12 weeks their bodies will undergo changes that prepare them to face their
lives in the open ocean. They will lose some of their blubber. They’ll finish
growing teeth, so they can hunt their own food. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They venture into the surf to practice diving,
swimming and holding their breath. Weaned pups learn to hold their breath
around six minutes, some as long as 12 minutes. That will help them stay
underwater and dive deep enough to catch food. They are on their own now.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They are more likely to be in the water at night, so
early mornings and late afternoons are the best time to see them splash around
and put their heads underwater to hold their breath. Most will leave the beach
on their first migration by the end of April. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Watch a video on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1HYj-LvYp8" target="_blank">Friends of the Elephant SealsYouTube channel</a>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Bachelor beaches</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Few bachelor bulls
have come to Hearst Memorial Beach at San Simeon Cove this year. They may have
gone to other beaches, such as the north beach at the Piedras Blancas viewpoint
and other points north.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">State
Parks tours</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">During this exciting season, February through March,
State Parks is offering tours at the Arroyo Laguna beach. Tours are available 9
am on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Tickets are $13 per person. Meet at
the parking lot, 2.25 miles north of the Hearst Castle Entrance and south of
the Piedras Blancas viewpoint. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Dress for conditions, walking on uneven rocky and
sandy ground, possibly muddy. Wear sturdy, close-toed shoes. Dress in warm
layers. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bring cameras and binoculars. Call 805-776-2564 or check
the <a href="https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31187 " target="_blank">website</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">for
information.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Speakers Bureau<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If your organization would like to learn more about
the seals Friends of the Elephant Seal offers free speakers. To arrange a
speaker, call the FES office, (805) 924-1628 or request a speaker through the
<a href="https://elephantseal.org/speakers-bureau/" target="_blank">website</a></span><a href="https://elephantseal.org/speakers-bureau/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">/</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
The Speaker’s Bureau Coordinator will respond and set up a date.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: #F7F7F3; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-19709063528491453042024-03-07T07:08:00.000-08:002024-03-07T07:12:22.176-08:00Smithsonian magazine<p>Smithsonian magazine focused on the role of Friends of the Elephant Seal in creating this safe viewing space for people to learn about the seals without disturbing them.</p><p> <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/northern-elephant-seals-learn-to-dive-deeply-quickly-their-southern-relatives-take-their-time-180983590/?fbclid=IwAR00uBv6mfPLfHTCnu3MhnXiBmbMVf3aJoZDgSAH4N1t6pBOV8ueVXAaC_w_aem_AV_84Ws3JwFlhr13QuZgayfK_yj1q-VTTFuI6LlpUfWbasEUAb7mKGB9Dq8YkGXctS0">https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/northern-elephant-seals-learn-to-dive-deeply-quickly-their-southern-relatives-take-their-time-180983590/?fbclid=IwAR00uBv6mfPLfHTCnu3MhnXiBmbMVf3aJoZDgSAH4N1t6pBOV8ueVXAaC_w_aem_AV_84Ws3JwFlhr13QuZgayfK_yj1q-VTTFuI6LlpUfWbasEUAb7mKGB9Dq8YkGXctS0</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1sIrnskT3BUxr3AbIWpDCVZilKiF_QLtdQp2dRr6PFjUC4RrRKW9ZHdp7xt4cFAj56lYN6cMWSlTcuihFwsYz8rRw4yvxz-h0t5QhRitpEyAFCL843qw1L0h32U6I3zratsJoFVu9ihchdhh_YsnjJmXwH6FkmpPXtLthwsa6pR1Dtj_PTQ2tJTc3UNU/s1000/15%2026Jan23%20ES_20230126_100814PB%20vista_20230126_100814PB%20Vista.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1sIrnskT3BUxr3AbIWpDCVZilKiF_QLtdQp2dRr6PFjUC4RrRKW9ZHdp7xt4cFAj56lYN6cMWSlTcuihFwsYz8rRw4yvxz-h0t5QhRitpEyAFCL843qw1L0h32U6I3zratsJoFVu9ihchdhh_YsnjJmXwH6FkmpPXtLthwsa6pR1Dtj_PTQ2tJTc3UNU/w400-h266/15%2026Jan23%20ES_20230126_100814PB%20vista_20230126_100814PB%20Vista.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-57330378839828175392024-03-06T11:57:00.000-08:002024-03-06T11:59:56.254-08:00Just Animals PodcastI did a podcast about Elephant Seals with Elle and Guy Schwartz of Just Animals. It was fun! <div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWXG9B0l9vc" target="_blank">Watch it here. </a></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDsYah4WAtu-HgkNjnaKT4FzxU_AGHYJudXrCd5flJPwmiFCEYM4RziWPO706qVeCLAuQu9MIRd4-XRSyLpIeQDrcU5ciMPWGBoCL0J48Dr90QnZR71lQjUNH90ZKeBlaj8UDRnlRpoXp4DX_dqC5sY4BKN0Lced4Mw9Eyww6A3s9DkHvl6JzPQdlZpA/s3648/IMG_7409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="3648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDsYah4WAtu-HgkNjnaKT4FzxU_AGHYJudXrCd5flJPwmiFCEYM4RziWPO706qVeCLAuQu9MIRd4-XRSyLpIeQDrcU5ciMPWGBoCL0J48Dr90QnZR71lQjUNH90ZKeBlaj8UDRnlRpoXp4DX_dqC5sY4BKN0Lced4Mw9Eyww6A3s9DkHvl6JzPQdlZpA/w400-h400/IMG_7409.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weanlings on the beach. Looking good!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-64883993153655407352024-02-16T11:58:00.000-08:002024-02-16T11:58:38.366-08:00Pups grow fast<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>From newborn to weaned in a month</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">High tides have taken their toll on newborn elephant
seal pups at the Piedras Blancas viewpoint, but hundreds survive. They grow
fast on high-fat milk. Every day, more weaned pups are left on the beach. Their
mothers leave them to manage on their own.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Fat weanlings<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That’s not a problem for the weanlings. They are fat
and sturdy, making the transition to independent life. As they mature, their
bodies change from rapidly gaining weight to eating nothing, and living off
that blubber. They grow from 75 pounds at birth to over 200 a month later.
Visitors can estimate the age of the pups by size alone. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They fast for the first time. All elephant seals have
two long fasts every year in their annual cycle, while they are on the beach.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Their mothers are finished with their fast and ready
to start feeding. They ate nothing while nursing the pup. They are thin, and
need to return to the ocean to forage and gain the blubber that sustains, protects
and insulates them. They will return in six or eight weeks, their healthy
weight restored from nearly constant foraging.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMa_L2u8ZBDIHS8XlI5_YuumZB-bRPdNijOd7VEryvb2GwLwLhGxUnJkGNHg8t_8YXDasVrTXF6VfroDLYiuNq620C8H9FPP587TSHizW3UT5-7Kwrx2NbYiVGGvwm4AwSZBzkZ4Xi6MdEES_juAlR9N-YTPiNiULkS4x1T8TfxWKQlE_YJF-EH2vTmk/s3648/IMG_7177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="3648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMa_L2u8ZBDIHS8XlI5_YuumZB-bRPdNijOd7VEryvb2GwLwLhGxUnJkGNHg8t_8YXDasVrTXF6VfroDLYiuNq620C8H9FPP587TSHizW3UT5-7Kwrx2NbYiVGGvwm4AwSZBzkZ4Xi6MdEES_juAlR9N-YTPiNiULkS4x1T8TfxWKQlE_YJF-EH2vTmk/s320/IMG_7177.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">This mother has given her blubber to her pup, who is almost as round as she is. She's ready to return to the ocean to feed.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bulls, mothers, pups<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some females are still arriving at the beach to give
birth, while other mothers have completed their maternal duties. Females mate
with bulls before they leave the beach. Mating can be noisy, with the female
barking and flapping around. Other bulls may take interest and chase the bull
attempting to breed. Fights break out. Visitors see a wide range of development
at the viewpoint.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Gulls are part of the beach ecosystem. They gather to
consume the afterbirth, and clean up any pups that died. This one insisted on
stealing milk while a pup nursed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnh_QXFkerxJLCc1hsQWMolW5dvtMQnTDV3upb9Ln-jrAKlnjxzcNu6g59hrE-0kRXsup45WDrOUzHlVO7dsMXzGUbRM20CKoyXa4uScIFJ6l21q2hWmVcVcXf9e24b1u5-3rZf5lbiVDH1LMeRRFsIevEHKUq-F1Fku18mOR6cxoqQe6ygp01rM5ymSg/s3648/Gull%20with%20pup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="3648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnh_QXFkerxJLCc1hsQWMolW5dvtMQnTDV3upb9Ln-jrAKlnjxzcNu6g59hrE-0kRXsup45WDrOUzHlVO7dsMXzGUbRM20CKoyXa4uScIFJ6l21q2hWmVcVcXf9e24b1u5-3rZf5lbiVDH1LMeRRFsIevEHKUq-F1Fku18mOR6cxoqQe6ygp01rM5ymSg/s320/Gull%20with%20pup.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">This gull annoyed both mother and pup by sneaking in to steal milk</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One pup at a time<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Elephant seal mothers have only a single pup. Since
they don’t eat while they are nursing, they don’t have adequate reserves to
feed multiple pups. It’s common for pups to nurse on mothers other then their
own, though. Some mothers tolerate it better than others. Often mothers have
several pups around them. Only one is hers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyIyHl3xihZ3-BTmMD5iMZ_7O60yB7xbD9OFJu0zX0-GG6e22QeVdrn_AXMYVzY8QWfApcBCj18H9xlfZan8paWFIkHshQvkdEVZulVchbNB8QItIFqkJ3i9gGnyU3_DPtv_e-BNOGDvbwHXHnEU3A6IHIcUGVfE8QIn8bvRuUj98Xz2SoZtQFaJbA1A/s1824/Pups%202021%20(14).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyIyHl3xihZ3-BTmMD5iMZ_7O60yB7xbD9OFJu0zX0-GG6e22QeVdrn_AXMYVzY8QWfApcBCj18H9xlfZan8paWFIkHshQvkdEVZulVchbNB8QItIFqkJ3i9gGnyU3_DPtv_e-BNOGDvbwHXHnEU3A6IHIcUGVfE8QIn8bvRuUj98Xz2SoZtQFaJbA1A/s320/Pups%202021%20(14).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">This mother tolerates extra pups nursing. Around 80 percent of pups nurse on more than one mother. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mothers whose pups were washed away by high tides may
adopt a pup, or at least be willing to let a hungry one nurse. Inexperienced
mothers can become better mothers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pups are at risk if they get separated form their
mothers. Mother-pup separation is the most frequent case of pup death, although
over 90 percent of the pups born at Piedras Blancas survive. <br />
Watching a pup search for its mother is heart-rending, but often a persistent
pup will find its mother – or some mother willing to nurse it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Weanling pods<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Weaned pups congregate in groups called pods, out of
the main breeding areas, along the base of the cliffs. Look for rotund seals
with black skin peeling off. They shed the black coat they were born with after
they are weaned. It reveals their first countershaded coat, dark on the back
and light on the belly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrX_A3qFh0P1NrV0kLjnqggc9aZEtYWZufEqJlwdzG8iP1_PUVtHZTDlORTtCKIdpUL6QdYY0odchCHSqqjTs_UX4NutIqw3t92d5j3KNcH9q-R0knXjq22FW2_PmvGQwsEE6s10uIjNFv2vP-e5WKJA_ltoiAV2Bl8a1VnM-ny2IbwVrdDICezyhn3GE/s5472/IMG_6342%20weaners.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrX_A3qFh0P1NrV0kLjnqggc9aZEtYWZufEqJlwdzG8iP1_PUVtHZTDlORTtCKIdpUL6QdYY0odchCHSqqjTs_UX4NutIqw3t92d5j3KNcH9q-R0knXjq22FW2_PmvGQwsEE6s10uIjNFv2vP-e5WKJA_ltoiAV2Bl8a1VnM-ny2IbwVrdDICezyhn3GE/s320/IMG_6342%20weaners.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">The fat weaner on the right has already shed his black newborn coat. His companion is in the process of getting that more mature countershading.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As the adults leave, weaned pups have more space to gradually
make their way to the water. Their next developmental task is to learn to swim
and dive. They are more likely to be in the water at night, so early mornings
and late afternoons are the best time to see them splash around and put their
heads underwater to hold their breath. Most will leave the beach on their first
migration by the end of April.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">King Tides<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">King Tides will inundate the beach again February 9.
Fat weaned pups will be safer than newborns. Most of the seals are farther away
from the water’s edge, but high tides always threaten some pups. The Coastal
Commission encourages the public to document the extent of King Tides with
photographs and <a href="https://www.coastal.ca.gov/kingtides/" target="_blank">share them with the Commission</a>. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">My photos of February 9’s King Tide at Piedras Blancas, Hearst State Beach, San Simeon Cove, San Simeon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Arroyo del Padre Juan, Leffingwell Landing, and Santa Rosa Creek are posted on the <a href=" https://coastalcomm.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=f5652282f2c84e3194a8f1e4af9e15ba" target="_blank">Coastal Commission’s map</a>.</span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-53694065674118587872023-12-28T10:42:00.000-08:002024-01-11T11:01:02.601-08:00Showtime!<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article283529808.html" target="_blank">Lots of activity during seal breeding season </a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The first pups of the season were born over the
December 16-17 weekend. More will follow, over 5,000 in the Piedras Blancas
rookery before the breeding season is over in mid-March.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bulls fight for dominance, to reign over territory and
have breeding rights. Mothers protect their pups from the fray and high tides.
When it isn’t a noisy uproar, mothers nurse their pups peacefully, and sleep
beside them in scenes that evoke recognition of mothers everywhere.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNFt1ChZwpQPDCmRXDz5lOXZrOkA5P9_n0eoDtPTafnpIL-vFeRZPw55b_UqO75bMAgDk8eHgXMW4V6298I2XqnNVJKIwLLuILrMO5iF3Tqqa923aOYcUDlfvimVAQc1dd6ETqZKPNfL737DudTatYnVeetdN_Ao-dXrijfzwPJIvyFiOB5bfb_j7kOo/s1824/First%20pup%20December%202020%20%20(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNFt1ChZwpQPDCmRXDz5lOXZrOkA5P9_n0eoDtPTafnpIL-vFeRZPw55b_UqO75bMAgDk8eHgXMW4V6298I2XqnNVJKIwLLuILrMO5iF3Tqqa923aOYcUDlfvimVAQc1dd6ETqZKPNfL737DudTatYnVeetdN_Ao-dXrijfzwPJIvyFiOB5bfb_j7kOo/s320/First%20pup%20December%202020%20%20(3).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Through the season, newborns start out skinny and fill
out to rotund 250-pound weaned pups. Bulls and mothers get thinner as time goes
by. Only the pups eat during the breeding season.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwaCTeSiPI_-M2-OeysTbL57kihd-0zb8hzhIFFupIFxFPs1Ura8Vyk1rr3ei4ka3kQYTD3bBPdams_KnrMVazthMpIvURmdeL_J__LPWU0W3ycjdwKzQyMjpPtw3QLi0MATWavfvvSAadeBJyEc_I0doAF-5Se-vz76XxwJA1Fm6gkweL3tA2N9ljsk/s2736/IMG_5827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwaCTeSiPI_-M2-OeysTbL57kihd-0zb8hzhIFFupIFxFPs1Ura8Vyk1rr3ei4ka3kQYTD3bBPdams_KnrMVazthMpIvURmdeL_J__LPWU0W3ycjdwKzQyMjpPtw3QLi0MATWavfvvSAadeBJyEc_I0doAF-5Se-vz76XxwJA1Fm6gkweL3tA2N9ljsk/s320/IMG_5827.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">No schedule for births<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pups are born day and night. Everyone wants to witness
a birth, but predicting which seal will give birth next is uncertain. A
prospective mother may fuss and toss a lot of sand, digging ditches on both
sides of her round body. And then she may fall asleep. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While you’re watching one, another may give birth down
the beach. Gulls announce the births, swirling around to clean up the
afterbirth. Nature’s clean-up crew.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83MslGXg49j5jC9dCBAd1P0_qzWTdfGdRYypi_uO_BKu0dGJJdsVhKEPKN7KG1fZl67tSERR4ixDSFxtkyG_42e7UKpcNKSwItIoKmK0XoRhL6Z2EmVwcD8ZlZRDC10NtvVMb1AcwOSg97_3mlF3wOR6O9tbhW1ZdZ-pzcggeVL2thlvCtPVysGRjdaY/s400/081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83MslGXg49j5jC9dCBAd1P0_qzWTdfGdRYypi_uO_BKu0dGJJdsVhKEPKN7KG1fZl67tSERR4ixDSFxtkyG_42e7UKpcNKSwItIoKmK0XoRhL6Z2EmVwcD8ZlZRDC10NtvVMb1AcwOSg97_3mlF3wOR6O9tbhW1ZdZ-pzcggeVL2thlvCtPVysGRjdaY/s320/081.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pups may be born head or tail first. The water breaks,
and soon a pup emerges.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Recognize the new pup<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Newborns have black coats. They are about three feet
long and weigh about 70 pounds. They soon plump up on their mothers’ nourishing
milk. They’ll nurse for a month. In the last few days of nursing, the mothers
mate with one or more males. They stop nursing the pup, who now weighs 250
pounds or more, and soon return to the ocean. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They need to feed, because they haven’t had anything
to eat since before they arrived at the beach. They lose about a third of their
body weight nursing that pup. It’s time to build up their blubber to support
development of next year’s pup. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">After giving this year’s pup a head start, they go on their
annual short migration. They will return in two or three months, fatter, to
molt their skin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wildlife viewing requires patience. Pregnant females
will continue to arrive on the beach, into February. Check the live webcam for
beach conditions, </span><a href="http://www.elephantseal.org/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">www.elephantseal.org</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bulls on alert<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Dominant bulls, who rested peacefully next to their
brothers last summer, are now ready to take on all comers. Watch as one bull
surfs onto the sand. Bulls that scurry away are less dominant. The ones who
stand their ground are considering defending their turf.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The stand-off may come to blows. The goal of battling
is to establish the dominance hierarchy, which actually reduces conflict. Bulls
who acknowledge the dominant beachmaster won’t challenge him, and he won’t need
to fight every bull on the beach. But some will. A beachmaster can be deposed
by a tougher bull at any point during the breeding season.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHdnujJ1fisT1wHdT68p1tz1l_YQSAQ_3Pn-vzwr-t_UUyWQC5EMgafNDUcb_WX4xZyRPMs_safmoFg9B4eBRHUJ1wUeARxHEE49pTTVnfhwvF6g6b8bTpfWtrgmVnIGx_ULGu5fKx_K3DKW0jjymieDwR56Z1Fwf-7PBKb1uZAkLjMn_hTzb-dA3SI8/s2432/Bulls%20fighting%20(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2432" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHdnujJ1fisT1wHdT68p1tz1l_YQSAQ_3Pn-vzwr-t_UUyWQC5EMgafNDUcb_WX4xZyRPMs_safmoFg9B4eBRHUJ1wUeARxHEE49pTTVnfhwvF6g6b8bTpfWtrgmVnIGx_ULGu5fKx_K3DKW0jjymieDwR56Z1Fwf-7PBKb1uZAkLjMn_hTzb-dA3SI8/s320/Bulls%20fighting%20(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bulls have distinctive individual vocalizations. They
recognize each other. If they have fought before, they won’t challenge each
other again. They also recognize each other by sight.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But there’s always a new bull on the beach to raise
the issue. There’s a lot at stake. Only the most dominant bulls get to breed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bulls retreat to other beaches<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some less dominant bulls hang out on the beach,
evading the beachmaster’s notice and attempting to sneak in and mate.
Sometimes, they do!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Others leave the breeding beaches behind and swim to
other beaches to heal their battle wounds and rest. Visitors may encounter them,
especially at Hearst Memorial Beach at San Simeon Cove. Friends of the Elephant
Seal docents watch over seals and beachgoers, advising on how to avoid the seals
when they are resting on the sand or in the lagoon. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorooLUbkr-4853acFV6tvwNgTlTVrG1ENbmk8baHfygUDBnInH6_GCxjf1QPAQ3nbkhDOftwke9JEPtbQomE4dNHpyo6SWv8H6PnOUSmw3MAeyTLKFvTv957AMjiJY4ERkmIhxZ1WG9pWLDD8b3PY9YmNyNLPO4csIujTDKdReExvE4Kwkd4eRFfcrSo/s1824/San%20Simeon%20bulls%202020%20(13).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1488" data-original-width="1824" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorooLUbkr-4853acFV6tvwNgTlTVrG1ENbmk8baHfygUDBnInH6_GCxjf1QPAQ3nbkhDOftwke9JEPtbQomE4dNHpyo6SWv8H6PnOUSmw3MAeyTLKFvTv957AMjiJY4ERkmIhxZ1WG9pWLDD8b3PY9YmNyNLPO4csIujTDKdReExvE4Kwkd4eRFfcrSo/s320/San%20Simeon%20bulls%202020%20(13).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s an exciting and unusual experience, coming in
such close contact with huge wild animals. Bulls may challenge each other, or
simply ignore humans when they decide to move across the beach or return to the
ocean. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">NOAA Marine Life Viewing Guidelines (</span><a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/wildlife-viewing/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/wildlife-viewing/</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">)
advise no closer than 50 yards, half a football field. Keep the dog leashed so
as not to annoy them. Don’t get between two seals, who may decide to charge
each other, or a seal and the water, in case he suddenly decides to go back
into the waves.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The seals can be dangerous, so give them plenty of
space. Sharing the beach with them is a privilege. And visitors get to return
home with a great story!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-14834600924549362982023-11-18T10:31:00.000-08:002024-01-11T10:42:22.560-08:00Titans of Piedras Blancas<p><a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article282000123.html" target="_blank">Bulls arrive for breeding season</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Elephant seal bulls begin arriving around Thanksgiving for
the winter breeding season. They are at their largest physical bulk, after
months of feeding along the North American continental shelf. They’ll need it
to get through to March without eating.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Look for long noses and big pink chest shields on massive
bodies. They surf out onto the sand, their massive weight now subject to
gravity instead of supported by water. Welcome to life on land!<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdQ6qMnptImpXnx1XlBJZURpnloOQpvPzK7AY8yhvCKnvCTif3t1lD9mh5Et1Q_viq3eAbFkgsM4Ogozx911f-Q3UZ3IBK-FbfoYJYiI5dOo3slpzefkMrHlaVJMtitnD68Dm-oLAxNEBITUu2-UNn5Apm6cRBC3ChGqP7pKZCvUbVjf-aZj6F3awtgo/s2794/King%20Tide%202023%20Bull%20(38a).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2452" data-original-width="2794" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdQ6qMnptImpXnx1XlBJZURpnloOQpvPzK7AY8yhvCKnvCTif3t1lD9mh5Et1Q_viq3eAbFkgsM4Ogozx911f-Q3UZ3IBK-FbfoYJYiI5dOo3slpzefkMrHlaVJMtitnD68Dm-oLAxNEBITUu2-UNn5Apm6cRBC3ChGqP7pKZCvUbVjf-aZj6F3awtgo/s320/King%20Tide%202023%20Bull%20(38a).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Smaller seals are juveniles, still resting on the beach from
their Fall Haul Out. They will soon leave on their own migration. They’ll feed
and grow bigger, to return next spring. Seals spend most of their lives at sea.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxJOyS2C5i5gydTC7tOHIZ_nA0O4jSiK7dd1KkYSJPy3SP7s_Lwg241U4n3FVauMDS4ygifplDCX8WNdwBN4nCHDFsziPLxk4LIDf-cPlt0WOh2PC_v5nWAMAivzxHdXjNFM4-1GWwvoKtjA6HisWFq0f-1wRcA37pTDs5KFeNIj3oKJ4qSwVbrMrjqk/s2432/IMG_6889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="2432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxJOyS2C5i5gydTC7tOHIZ_nA0O4jSiK7dd1KkYSJPy3SP7s_Lwg241U4n3FVauMDS4ygifplDCX8WNdwBN4nCHDFsziPLxk4LIDf-cPlt0WOh2PC_v5nWAMAivzxHdXjNFM4-1GWwvoKtjA6HisWFq0f-1wRcA37pTDs5KFeNIj3oKJ4qSwVbrMrjqk/s320/IMG_6889.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>No feeding here<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bulls stop feeding when they leave their foraging grounds
and head south for the breeding beaches. They’ve been eating fish and squid,
gaining as much as 28 pounds a day, since they left the Central Coast in August
and September. They need enough blubber to survive 100 days or more, to the end
of the breeding season. They are huge now, but will get thin over the coming
months.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Every bull on the beach is a survivor in a tough system. As
few as one percent of male pups born reach breeding age. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Surviving isn’t enough to guarantee breeding, though. They
jockey for dominance and breeding rights. Two thirds of the bulls, the less
dominant ones, don’t get to breed at all. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Why they fight<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Early arrivals find enough beach to separate them. Some pick
fights anyway. You may see seals fighting.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfBcRz7oSLM6qHMf1VjRO8YWcq0wTjiZCMTh96rRgWZeq6g8__uOa5kzNSlcgyNwuXlkSzEIAO9vhBzdNat7I75cmOR6M7rous9bXYsmLSG5d_LIBFyCezoRTenTh8GlntwttvANMrB6I3rMIa-1ggAzpn6tpUB4Z2PTADfBZHPOdyKaoeOG0CcGPPFo/s2432/Bulls%20fighting%20(9).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2432" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfBcRz7oSLM6qHMf1VjRO8YWcq0wTjiZCMTh96rRgWZeq6g8__uOa5kzNSlcgyNwuXlkSzEIAO9vhBzdNat7I75cmOR6M7rous9bXYsmLSG5d_LIBFyCezoRTenTh8GlntwttvANMrB6I3rMIa-1ggAzpn6tpUB4Z2PTADfBZHPOdyKaoeOG0CcGPPFo/s320/Bulls%20fighting%20(9).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">To get breeding rights, males fight for dominance and to
defend their harem of females. They arrive looking for a fight and it only gets
worse. Size is an advantage, but not the only factor. The alpha bull, the
beachmaster, is frequently challenged by other bulls. He can lose a battle and
be replaced by another tough guy.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Beachmasters are vigilant about chasing other bulls away
from the harem, but it’s a constant challenge. All bulls are focused on mating,
regardless of their status in the beach social hierarchy. Lower ranking bulls
sneak around the harem and try to mate with females. They sometimes get away
with it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Non-breeding beaches<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Less dominant bulls who lose battles may leave the beach and
take refuge on other, non-breeding beaches. Look for them at San Simeon Cove,
along Moonstone Beach, and other quiet, sandy places. It’s like the old joke:
Where does a two-ton seal go? Anywhere he wants. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Females give birth<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Females start to arrive in December, with the first pup born
around the middle of the month. More females arrive in January and February, up
to around 5,000 at the height of the season. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi625THI1ziLEQpvrT3Y2IFJoiP5feeQ7NPUZhlKdqNbzO_YotKqa8yVkDlU5Xald_eY8fmDxYGAUEr89Qj2NMxc_X8iCCeUpWzXXh2L-eXAOs6eqcfTkyeDtIuncqKFMG6EFiC9rXmEJMHQIpUKnmNKqCJWv9EuUThhKbHm0Ace_L-xjB73TA3NJkHe6o/s400/074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi625THI1ziLEQpvrT3Y2IFJoiP5feeQ7NPUZhlKdqNbzO_YotKqa8yVkDlU5Xald_eY8fmDxYGAUEr89Qj2NMxc_X8iCCeUpWzXXh2L-eXAOs6eqcfTkyeDtIuncqKFMG6EFiC9rXmEJMHQIpUKnmNKqCJWv9EuUThhKbHm0Ace_L-xjB73TA3NJkHe6o/s320/074.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxPpK9U5aMQ8tynmkl9lt7YZrhWpJSNA1ZOLfneP6IIsl4DTOA5knv9DgqYhZ8p9JBkSJhUX8DIFAiXkQjudKKJjMfqj3v5qgQfOoco4lM4Clk2ZQjJeq5qnsMu7DSKcE9P9RMrCQr5b1KSOME1ohmdT32m6MmNQeiophc6Bhbi8XKe0-IvGXYkt7dEI/s400/075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxPpK9U5aMQ8tynmkl9lt7YZrhWpJSNA1ZOLfneP6IIsl4DTOA5knv9DgqYhZ8p9JBkSJhUX8DIFAiXkQjudKKJjMfqj3v5qgQfOoco4lM4Clk2ZQjJeq5qnsMu7DSKcE9P9RMrCQr5b1KSOME1ohmdT32m6MmNQeiophc6Bhbi8XKe0-IvGXYkt7dEI/s320/075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But they aren’t ready to mate until after they’ve nursed
that pup for a month or so. They come into estrus, like dogs. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Of course, these animals are dangerous,” writes elephant
seal researcher Burney LeBoeuf in <i>Elephant Seals: Pushing the Limits on Land
and at Sea.</i> “Males will run over you as if you were a piece of furniture in
their way.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Speakers Bureau<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If your organization would like to learn more about the
seals Friends of the Elephant Seal offers free speakers. To arrange a speaker,
call the FES office, (805) 924-1628 or request a speaker through the website, <a href="https://elephantseal.org/speakers-bureau/">https://elephantseal.org/speakers-bureau/</a>.
The Speaker’s Bureau Coordinator will respond and set up a date.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article282000123.html </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-19635301005476158882023-11-16T09:35:00.000-08:002024-01-16T09:42:37.694-08:00New wildlife tags help Central Coast researchers understand impacts of offshore wind projects <p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article282796908.html " target="_blank">Piedras Blancas Light Station has a new electronic wildlifetracking system</a>, to collect data on small birds and bats, and is the site for a
new acoustic bat monitoring project. The data are important for understanding
how the Offshore Wind projects may affect these smaller species.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Motus<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is an international
collaborative research network that tracks birds, bats and insects with tiny
transmitters. The tags transmit location data back to scientists, who then can
use it for research and education. The data inform ecology and conservation of
these migratory species. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Motus is a
program of Birds Canada in partnership with collaborating researchers and
organizations. Data collected are shared among all researchers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<span style="color: black;">Motus allows us to track
species too small to tag with traditional GPS tags,” said Laney White,</span>
U.S. Geological Survey's Western Ecological Research Center biologist.
<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUrACBSHeLEubu5j_HeThVjK2JhL9NFYWEgHYRMgCNYgljM8WyraUkhVvHbPgnUP6tj4sgHyaXEDCD_nCxaMgWG2b_BNA57vTkGojPvQHmzCdvnttgIAKEQ2Tb5BtG2LSwzR0b-S4umVVgnmFQDWelacp1tuQS9hJl39T2NOBUdKAzclYa4fwcZhRV7g/s4032/LWhite%20USGS%20Motus%20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUrACBSHeLEubu5j_HeThVjK2JhL9NFYWEgHYRMgCNYgljM8WyraUkhVvHbPgnUP6tj4sgHyaXEDCD_nCxaMgWG2b_BNA57vTkGojPvQHmzCdvnttgIAKEQ2Tb5BtG2LSwzR0b-S4umVVgnmFQDWelacp1tuQS9hJl39T2NOBUdKAzclYa4fwcZhRV7g/w400-h300/LWhite%20USGS%20Motus%20.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">USGS Western Ecological Research Center
biologist Laney White drives a Zodiac to one of the USGS Ashy Storm Petrel
study sites (photo credit: J. Felis).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Piedras Blancas installation is funded for three
years by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a long-term investment. The
system can be used to monitor bird and bat movements. In the future, Motus may
be used to study animal movement around the turbines off the West Coast. In
Central and Southern California, the USGS is in the process of building 25
stations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The tiny battery-powered tag can weigh less than half
a gram, less than the weight of a paperclip, and costs about $200. It can be glued
to the bird, sutured, or attached with a harness or leg band. The batteries can
be solar powered and last years. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Until you’ve got a bird in hand, you can’t always
tell which method will work,” Ms. White said. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Cassin’s Auklets, Ashy Storm-Petrels, and Western Gulls
will be tagged. Western Gulls will also get GPS tags that can detect Motus
tags, making them mobile receiving stations and expanding the network’s reach
offshore.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hOO2AUauHio_o0h9lvRCy-DJzN0GAgrNfRU8L0QX7baLv-OKDmj7y0DvoRMIkaCXkyNRzr55siJjrxTmrODgmrSrx-ZvxDs3OzojVy2d6MB5v_EaacIXbY5491IdwmXYyp8F6EOrca0ZVDDqHyOqXN-pU1IfygRtEhsEF4yjYaH4rfKg3mfj3_GKb4k/s2048/EmmaKelsey_USGS_Cassin's.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hOO2AUauHio_o0h9lvRCy-DJzN0GAgrNfRU8L0QX7baLv-OKDmj7y0DvoRMIkaCXkyNRzr55siJjrxTmrODgmrSrx-ZvxDs3OzojVy2d6MB5v_EaacIXbY5491IdwmXYyp8F6EOrca0ZVDDqHyOqXN-pU1IfygRtEhsEF4yjYaH4rfKg3mfj3_GKb4k/w300-h400/EmmaKelsey_USGS_Cassin's.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">USGS wildlife biologist Emma Kelsey <span style="background: white;">holds a Cassin's Auklet in the Channel Islands (photo: J. Felis).</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In less rigorous environments, the tags can last a
bird’s lifetime. In the salty marine environment, they probably won’t last that
long. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The system needs international collaboration with
Canada and Mexico, because birds and bats migrate across international
boundaries.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Acoustic bat monitoring<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bats hunt the insects that are their food with sonar
echolocation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Insects are nimble,” said USGS acoustic
specialist Bethany Schulze. “They are good at evading capture.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Globally, bats play a significant
ecological role, in pest control, pollination, seed dispersal and as bioindicators
of environmental toxins. The bat in the coal mine, as it were.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Hoary bats, a migratory species, could be
affected by the West Coast Wind Projects proposed for 20-30 miles offshore. Motus
wildlife tracking and acoustic bat detectors can provide data to document how
offshore bat activity is different from coastal; which species migrate
offshore; whether their migration is seasonal; and ultimately, whether the wind
turbines will affect them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Piedras Blancas is the first of 10 coastal
acoustic monitoring sited set up. The solar-powered acoustic bat detector is
holding up well so far, Ms. Schulze said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All 20 coastal and offshore sites are
already collecting data, from 0.3 to 120 km offshore. They are on exposed areas
at the edge of the ocean. They record bats calling as they fly past.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I just deployed our last site yesterday (November
4), so now all 20 sites are collecting data!” she wrote in an email.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Target species are Hoary bats, Mexican
free-tailed bats, Western Red bats, and Silver-haired bats. California bats
feed mainly on insects.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Ms. Schulze follows the bats
where they go. One Hoary bat – “they’re the big fluffy ones” – was tagged in
Marin County, then tracked to north of Sacramento before it flew north to
Washington state. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Collaborating with the U.S.
Coast Guard, she’s been lowered in a basket by helicopter to <span style="background: white;">deploy an acoustic bat detector on a rock in the
middle of the ocean.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">She and the rest of the Western
Ecological Research Team will continue to follow the bats for several more
years.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-17732881882321874522023-10-31T10:43:00.004-07:002023-10-31T10:43:54.128-07:00Plenty of seals<p><a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article280893583.html" target="_blank"> Young seals take a break</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The juvenile seal Haul-Out continues in October. More seals
arrive every day. They don’t have the eponymous (look it up) trunk-like nose,
but some have other markings. They are all elephant seals, on their way to
maturity.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>R&R<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Every young seal that finds its way to the beach is a
success story. Each one has so far conquered the challenges of learning to hunt
food in the dark, cold ocean at 1,000 feet and deeper. They have evaded their
predators, swimming back to the surface only briefly, through the “lightscape
of fear,” to catch a two-minute breath and them dive down again. Rising to the
surface though the range of their white shark and orca predators is the most
dangerous time for them.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The seals on the beach in October range from last year’s
pups, less than a year old, to about six years old. The older males show signs
of that elephant trunk staring to develop. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmh0Clo2fk__pmtisyEH2In8KbiyHSiQ_W4ILs6ubyb00UDB1XMCK5WOa3g04AWw89T730IzWrnx3NT8WZn1df4jmncCTbW0wESuNPceBVdl6btGoG4WRqX4_u4wpeSq3URQoT7oWQN8KXxkBA6QfzRpgL6_HvkuT83pK38MY1K_PrIYsI5Rs_l6Q0Wow/s2432/IMG_6815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="2432" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmh0Clo2fk__pmtisyEH2In8KbiyHSiQ_W4ILs6ubyb00UDB1XMCK5WOa3g04AWw89T730IzWrnx3NT8WZn1df4jmncCTbW0wESuNPceBVdl6btGoG4WRqX4_u4wpeSq3URQoT7oWQN8KXxkBA6QfzRpgL6_HvkuT83pK38MY1K_PrIYsI5Rs_l6Q0Wow/w400-h400/IMG_6815.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">They are adjusting their migratory schedule. As they mature,
they will return to the beach in December and January, for the breeding season.
As juveniles, they avoid the hectic threats of that season by hauling out in
the autumn months.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Local heroes<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Piedras Blancas site is featured in <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-this-small-nonprofit-helped-save-californias-elephant-seals-180982991/" target="_blank">Smithsonian magazine</a>.
This beach is an unusual success story at the intersection of humans and
wildlife. Typically, when wildlife crosses human paths, the wildlife loses out,
often catastrophically. In this case, the collaboration of state and local
agencies and passionate local residents made it work.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Instead of carnage, the site has become a tourist attraction
and an informal education center for ocean science. By training and managing volunteer
docents, Friends of the Elephant Seal plays a significant role in keeping seals
and visitors safe from each other.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1n9FRlTFqOqFt9S7AUZQm9HRwDqvHK2OLeyx3xshFqeq-QRRd4XsrhZ2EwCGG6Z6Y6hoBsWyPFpjPLUEUpQYS2kSDqibapfYYlk8Oy35gcBYqjsy5FcB1dRib2FJeLiIApqCT60RpgwkxQF5YDSsiUI474uHKh8DOXbnJpwP-MPZhNWAdptTDq8H2KtM/s2432/IMG_6818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="2432" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1n9FRlTFqOqFt9S7AUZQm9HRwDqvHK2OLeyx3xshFqeq-QRRd4XsrhZ2EwCGG6Z6Y6hoBsWyPFpjPLUEUpQYS2kSDqibapfYYlk8Oy35gcBYqjsy5FcB1dRib2FJeLiIApqCT60RpgwkxQF5YDSsiUI474uHKh8DOXbnJpwP-MPZhNWAdptTDq8H2KtM/w400-h400/IMG_6818.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">At Piedras Blancas, that’s made simpler by the landscape of
bluffs overlooking the beach. The boardwalks keep visitors safe while providing
unlimited viewing.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During the breeding season, it’s more complicated. Subdominant
bulls, chased off the breeding beaches, come to San Simeon Cove to heal their
wounds. FES has a special program to help visitors there navigate around the
bulls. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It can be a delicate dance, but visitors come to the beach
because they love the ocean. They are revived and renewed. With FES guides
providing informal education about these amazing animals, both sides can safely
coexist.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGz01MjWhOPrZ1WozydmEvag6ejOprjEz40yCdVVQOcFPTHgKgSveodbZtWOEpOUcGzB0PYG77NqMWyNew-v1o6BXn-tiKDCnFqA2Vz6Az8zV-WIcO-xv99WXXl0fXtGYhXicUGNq5X-BKLNPP2BCgbItlUDEV50nAabk7VYysS-13SBCnxcuNAqxsZY8/s1824/IMG_4405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="1824" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGz01MjWhOPrZ1WozydmEvag6ejOprjEz40yCdVVQOcFPTHgKgSveodbZtWOEpOUcGzB0PYG77NqMWyNew-v1o6BXn-tiKDCnFqA2Vz6Az8zV-WIcO-xv99WXXl0fXtGYhXicUGNq5X-BKLNPP2BCgbItlUDEV50nAabk7VYysS-13SBCnxcuNAqxsZY8/w400-h400/IMG_4405.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Speakers Bureau<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Friends of the Elephant Seal offers presentations to local
organizations in SLO County. Trained speakers have given presentations to more
than 100 clubs and organizations, almost 3,000 persons in recent years, despite
the Covid hiatus.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Speakers are fully self-contained and travel with all the
audio and visual equipment needed to give their presentation to any age group
and size of audience.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Speakers Bureau has slide and video presentations
introducing the Piedras Blancas rookery as well as each of the seasons in the
seals’ annual cycle. The Birthing and Breeding presentations are appropriate
now, since that season begins in December.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Speakers Bureau presentations are appropriate for civic
clubs, schools, libraries, associations, churches, charitable organizations and
other common interest groups. There is no charge to the group for this
educational service.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To arrange a speaker, call the FES office, (805) 924-1628 or
request a speaker through <a href="https://elephantseal.org/speakers-bureau/." target="_blank">the website</a>.
The Speaker’s Bureau Coordinator will respond and set up a date.<o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-1270107029278618742023-09-28T12:19:00.002-07:002023-09-28T12:19:50.073-07:00Back for Haul-Out!<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article279661924.html" target="_blank">Young seals have the beach to themselves</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Every day, more young seals arrive at Piedras Blancas
elephant seal beaches. They are here for the annual haul-out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfyesWurgBmtUG_z4EC8clGYsPRxjdyMNQJzCB4bTRTXuW3_kxoxKh1nVQSnz2E97M7FcT-z8D6ohzFso1HjBOrw5C7HvUs22np1W9TwEqhjZ3ES1fvC3eMseVcj4lg7TiC0gnpQmGwHwmyufCkwLnNLGvbjvvVNzpfZM6nYxFc_zhADFI84V954ybA8/s2432/IMG_6766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="2432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfyesWurgBmtUG_z4EC8clGYsPRxjdyMNQJzCB4bTRTXuW3_kxoxKh1nVQSnz2E97M7FcT-z8D6ohzFso1HjBOrw5C7HvUs22np1W9TwEqhjZ3ES1fvC3eMseVcj4lg7TiC0gnpQmGwHwmyufCkwLnNLGvbjvvVNzpfZM6nYxFc_zhADFI84V954ybA8/s320/IMG_6766.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">Seals or sardines? Young seals sleep peacefully on the sand. (Christine Heinrichs photo)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Which seal is which<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJBpsFHBU_WZ5Kc8oZyEgQ3RFVzK02d6ZIihNHVer062StHZJC5bOAokU_COZ0dKN1jxBX3C0dgcSWJLe6y6rXyc4XiwqxWAoaN5Ix-to9wH_WK9IgTZPG37EhhX8y7vwvBebhIPNL-GJmmMGcMjlMmIeVZ7RBkZ24FztQNyBRy9lIkyPKrgn9-GSVAU/s2736/IMG_5600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2736" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJBpsFHBU_WZ5Kc8oZyEgQ3RFVzK02d6ZIihNHVer062StHZJC5bOAokU_COZ0dKN1jxBX3C0dgcSWJLe6y6rXyc4XiwqxWAoaN5Ix-to9wH_WK9IgTZPG37EhhX8y7vwvBebhIPNL-GJmmMGcMjlMmIeVZ7RBkZ24FztQNyBRy9lIkyPKrgn9-GSVAU/w400-h225/IMG_5600.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;"> Two young seals show off their growing noses as they spar in the surf. (Chrisitne Heinrichs photo)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Migratory seals<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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 <a href="http://www.elephantseal.org" target="_blank">the website</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">to submit a report.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Compare the migration of juveniles and adult seals on
the maps at <a href="https://beltranlab.ucsc.edu/" target="_blank">UC Santa Cruz’s Beltran Lab</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">San Simeon Cove Winter Guides</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8DjoA9RZTStFNVz8LXm6Hp7NpBI-xLXdyui9jNPooQiT62DiAp0emz9ui1kznM6Rrtt4GXX9j-JY92ozKS5kaEPqgIgWLD2XetsXAB1g2oUkXny9WsjmOJNrBvR4qSrJRU5WsS4zSHzDG0ORzBFshyphenhyphenjw9h27h49uZDqZHxxJj-_d7W08F9AMjfq4YUs/s1824/San%20Simeon%20bulls%202020%20(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8DjoA9RZTStFNVz8LXm6Hp7NpBI-xLXdyui9jNPooQiT62DiAp0emz9ui1kznM6Rrtt4GXX9j-JY92ozKS5kaEPqgIgWLD2XetsXAB1g2oUkXny9WsjmOJNrBvR4qSrJRU5WsS4zSHzDG0ORzBFshyphenhyphenjw9h27h49uZDqZHxxJj-_d7W08F9AMjfq4YUs/s320/San%20Simeon%20bulls%202020%20(5).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">FES trains volunteers to educate the public and help
everyone enjoy visiting the beach. Join them by <a href="https://elephantseal.org/become-a-docent/" target="_blank">applying online</a> by October 16. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“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.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-49320721897209749172023-08-18T10:27:00.004-07:002023-09-20T10:38:56.932-07:00The Biggest and the Smallest<p><b> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bulls and young of the year rest on the sand</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Young seals are arriving on the beach for the fall
Haul-Out. They join the mature bulls who are completing their annual molt. It’s
a beach of contrasts.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A flock of Heermann’s gulls joined the seals on the
south beach. These gulls nest in Mexico, but migrate north during the
non-breeding season. They are easy to identify, with their dark gray plumage
and red bills. The elephant seals are the main attraction at the viewpoint, but
keep your eyes out for other wildlife.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Juvenile seals<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The smallest seals are my heroes on the beach. They
are last winter’s pups, the Young of the Year. Any pup that survives that first
migration, begun last spring, has passed a major hurdle on the way to
adulthood. Only about half survive, so they may be small, but they are winners
in the test of survival. Their skin is perfect, smooth and unscarred.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmxBuR04lbyaFythkh2aTSiVxN7w1MbjOCcnG2ewr8XGyn0bLqJC1Ttm9_Z90aeSB4H9bC02AeyYk3dT9Mf1p-O6lmwy1sHsVilUeABcwrn3qsv2uOnCujupUIFSvibh9fWSQg6sv-jjwuQQlf-X91uQdd7gk84LFkDmTIViOhwc58g_zVWXSjnzFS7I/s3648/IMG_6615.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmxBuR04lbyaFythkh2aTSiVxN7w1MbjOCcnG2ewr8XGyn0bLqJC1Ttm9_Z90aeSB4H9bC02AeyYk3dT9Mf1p-O6lmwy1sHsVilUeABcwrn3qsv2uOnCujupUIFSvibh9fWSQg6sv-jjwuQQlf-X91uQdd7gk84LFkDmTIViOhwc58g_zVWXSjnzFS7I/w400-h266/IMG_6615.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small; text-align: start;"> These young of the year rest near full-grown bulls. They seem to take no notice of each other. Note the scar on the youngster on the left. (Christine Heinrichs photo)</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Moving up in size are older seals. Not yet mature, but
getting there. Males are more common among the juveniles, because males take
longer to reach maturity, at age eight. Females may be mature and pregnant as
early as two years old, most by age four. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Young males and females look very much alike. Around
age five, males begin growing that nose, and get bigger than females.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">They are the early arrivals for the Fall Haul-Out, six
weeks or so of rest in September through November. They are synchronizing their
timing with the rest of the seals, returning to the beach at predictable
seasons.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Migration<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Heather Liwanag and her Team Ellie at Cal Poly tagged
10 weaned pups last spring, at the Vandenberg and San Nicolas, in the Channel
Islands, colonies. The satellite tags allow the team, and the public, to see
where they go. </span><a href="https://www.calpoly-viplab.com/satellite-tags"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Satellite
Tags 2023 — VIP Lab (calpoly-viplab.com)</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The
young seals know to head generally north, along the same routes the rest of the
seals take. Most didn’t go as far as mature seals, but one, Monarch, swam to
the Gulf of Alaska, a 4,000-mile trip.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Fox
stayed closer to his home beach, within a couple of hundred miles of his
Channel Island rookery. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">They are diving and feeding almost constantly, more
than 20 hours a day. Satellite signals transmit only when the seal surfaces to
take a breath.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Roxanne Beltran and her team at the University of
California Santa Cruz are tracking first year and older seals. Check out their
journeys at </span><a href="https://beltranlab.ucsc.edu/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Beltran
Lab – Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz
(ucsc.edu)</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">One seven-year-old female departed in June on her second
trip 3,452 miles west. She went to the same location, the Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount
chain, two years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Constantly diving as she moves forward, she has
covered about 50 horizontal miles a day. By mid-August, the journey has taken
her ten weeks. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">She hasn’t set a record – yet. That’s held by Phyllis,
who swam nearly to Japan, 7,400 miles, in 2017. </span><a href="https://news.ucsc.edu/2017/02/phyllis-returns.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The
mighty Phyllis returns after record-shattering swim (ucsc.edu)</span></a> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Juvenile seals arrive and depart individually, on
their own schedules. Young seals will be on the beach through the end of
November, and perhaps beyond.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Bigger is bigger<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The mature bulls are mostly done with their annual
molt, last year’s skin peeling off to expose new skin underneath. Compare the
size of the nose, the proboscis, to compare age. The proboscis continues to
grow throughout a seal’s life, so bigger is older.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcrILCzoVWPuOt4QAhUxUcvTbqSDkyhKCMkGyFAPQlDjrXIIllkY348WLDJk1rbeD8NEUwrWIUFbRuLoJ0o6jrJMhJGxI5RBcBav_OlwqvqIx2MMDFwCHAa9j7vgFG21Q-pX-j65yF0ediJu1YwTq0LskR2lIEZwkuUl5fnh4JfcgMJe1PmWjVZ0neZc/s3648/IMG_6616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcrILCzoVWPuOt4QAhUxUcvTbqSDkyhKCMkGyFAPQlDjrXIIllkY348WLDJk1rbeD8NEUwrWIUFbRuLoJ0o6jrJMhJGxI5RBcBav_OlwqvqIx2MMDFwCHAa9j7vgFG21Q-pX-j65yF0ediJu1YwTq0LskR2lIEZwkuUl5fnh4JfcgMJe1PmWjVZ0neZc/w400-h266/IMG_6616.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGE5EZq0WYavDDJaqEuWRdHiy42VbuGWWwV10tP7NnFJjo22Vw-vXu5XVrsIi_DGEp0bMfn0Y9qjaAUSkILcneSflDxh_B8WhXDBXwCZSvql8cQd45EOuUWwEEHJsOCHqmxDZOaNoOpyxcLvX_OqRM7hBpbvXLLK44sKrXdhYhYyNoxr9ELzgHEphNrQ/s3648/IMG_6621.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGE5EZq0WYavDDJaqEuWRdHiy42VbuGWWwV10tP7NnFJjo22Vw-vXu5XVrsIi_DGEp0bMfn0Y9qjaAUSkILcneSflDxh_B8WhXDBXwCZSvql8cQd45EOuUWwEEHJsOCHqmxDZOaNoOpyxcLvX_OqRM7hBpbvXLLK44sKrXdhYhYyNoxr9ELzgHEphNrQ/w400-h266/IMG_6621.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">This big bull's chest shield is bright pink as the skin on it molts and peels away. He's taking no lip from a younger bull. (Christine Heinrichs photo)</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Although no adult females are on the beach for them to
fight over, the bulls have been entertaining visitors with loud calling and
bad-tempered sparring among themselves. Mostly they sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Every day more bulls leave the beach, returning to the
ocean to continue bulking up in anticipation of the breeding season. That will
be their next appearance on the beach, in November and December. They arrive
before the pregnant females, who begin to arrive in December. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">They’ll need all the blubber they can gain. They may
go without food for as long as 120 days as they battle for dominance and
breeding rights then. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> Read the column in the <a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article278490639.html " target="_blank">Tribune here</a>. </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-36870642585253879572023-07-07T13:37:00.001-07:002023-07-07T13:37:40.217-07:00The titans return!<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Adult bulls throw their weight around</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article276817486.html </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The full-grown elephant seal bulls are returning to
Piedras Blancas for their summer break from foraging in the ocean. As one bull
arrived on the beach, he cleared females, juveniles, and one subadult bull from
his path as soon as he arrived.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This
video, posted to the Friends of the Elephant Seal YouTube channel, </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aiqa-dluyRU"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Look who's here for the
summer molt at Piedras Blancas! - YouTube</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">, is edited from
his first ten minutes on the beach<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">by
Kathy Curtis, president of the FES board. If it seems like he is taking a long
time to<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">secure
his place on the beach, remember he hasn’t used his land muscles for three
months or more, and now weighs several hundred pounds more than when last on
land.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBX2ggc1e8h6DqO64r9nhFaL3IH6fbtaihEPg_C-OmWdRA9IAYvMstJiC2eu-E5_-guz_bvs3Dyr_kPA3XfAqWnIPzBDJxmdeW7xYE_Q2THX1xoy1VuO1Gcn3yPhut0AVVJPSryxZtlgpA8e2W6wSk9p9ketGC4QV1sqOBXERfbu9HkkreUkeQe42Uu0/s5472/King%20Tide%202023%20Bull%20(23).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBX2ggc1e8h6DqO64r9nhFaL3IH6fbtaihEPg_C-OmWdRA9IAYvMstJiC2eu-E5_-guz_bvs3Dyr_kPA3XfAqWnIPzBDJxmdeW7xYE_Q2THX1xoy1VuO1Gcn3yPhut0AVVJPSryxZtlgpA8e2W6wSk9p9ketGC4QV1sqOBXERfbu9HkkreUkeQe42Uu0/w400-h266/King%20Tide%202023%20Bull%20(23).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p>Displacement, making other seals move out of his way,
is a measure of dominance. He makes it clear who is dominant on this stretch of
beach!</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Dominance helps bulls settle their status without
having to fight. Summer is a good time for visitors to observe these senior
bulls at rest. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Molting<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This bull is one of the first to arrive for a few
weeks on the beach, to molt his skin. Some adult females and juveniles linger
on the beach, completing their molt. They will leave on their next migration,
leaving the beach to the bigger bulls for the summer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Elephant seals molt their skin annually. The old brown
and tan skin peels off in chunks, revealing the new skin underneath. New hairs
are just beginning to grow, so the skin is gray. As the hair grows, the color
becomes brown. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Z42vLIZM_vGL0F5bWfk72lf3nP7Xir03fjuA4WHZ2Z_O-rr53mWI_7VgWge2eHtg1s9-sv35JQdN3Z-kg-_xw973dEImHDlfOxOaoTkZtNTGa60Wrek-4-YUleIPUbWiISQC6h4i2T8CksF52D0UwEAJBg2W-qt4UsYfwhsnJtiaFKdiXCDeQ0p5V_w/s1824/IMG_5982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="1824" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Z42vLIZM_vGL0F5bWfk72lf3nP7Xir03fjuA4WHZ2Z_O-rr53mWI_7VgWge2eHtg1s9-sv35JQdN3Z-kg-_xw973dEImHDlfOxOaoTkZtNTGa60Wrek-4-YUleIPUbWiISQC6h4i2T8CksF52D0UwEAJBg2W-qt4UsYfwhsnJtiaFKdiXCDeQ0p5V_w/w400-h400/IMG_5982.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The upper layer of skin is new, but old scars remain.
Look for the skin to begin peeling off around the eyes and old scars. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">FES docents have samples of the bristly molted skin.
Ask to see and touch it. Some describe it as feeling like Astroturf. Elephant
seals don’t have the lush fur of some other seals and otters. Elephant seals
rely on their blubber, not their fur, for warmth. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Female migration<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Adult females leave to go on their long migration of
the year. They’ll spend the next seven months feeding at sea. They are pregnant
with the next generation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The embryo conceived after they weaned their pups last
winter has been suspended since then. Now, after they finish molting, it begins
developing. They will return in winter to give birth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Juvenile migration<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Juveniles leave the beach for a shorter migration,
returning in the fall for their annual Haul-Out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Juvenile migrations are less studied than adults, so
Heather Liwanag, and her Team Ellie at the Vertebrate Integrative Physiology
(VIP) Lab at Cal Poly have been tagging weaned pups and tracking them on their
first migration to see where they go. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They
knew to head north. Some ventured much further than others. Check out the maps
showing their routes at </span><a href="https://www.calpoly-viplab.com/satellite-tags"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Satellite Tags
2023 — VIP Lab (calpoly-viplab.com)</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> and </span><a href="https://www.calpoly-viplab.com/satellite-tags-2022"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Satellite
Tags 2022 — VIP Lab (calpoly-viplab.com)</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Try out the zoom and
measurement features of the map. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Light Station Open House<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Piedras Blancas Light Station will be open free, July
5 and 19 and August 2 and 16, 10 am -2 pm. Hike in from the north parking lot
of elephant seal viewpoint Boucher Trail trailhead or from the Boucher Trail
trailhead a mile north of the lighthouse. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifl65Y97dYtmM3FQrXC7omHx6RjSWUsZ_FXaCrrUOtrG3rcsqxFqNRpwI0wk0szOnLIS2hCRX6tmB5I3MJKSTI8_CEC7omeMcX-Sug3--IQnmq_O6mJ9AdTq_PfMUS33rvlLclbv2avVxfY2nOvjvWQMIA13XW1EFUHJwWNu8HoM0vA-WCUePgeQgXbKk/s1824/IMG_6054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifl65Y97dYtmM3FQrXC7omHx6RjSWUsZ_FXaCrrUOtrG3rcsqxFqNRpwI0wk0szOnLIS2hCRX6tmB5I3MJKSTI8_CEC7omeMcX-Sug3--IQnmq_O6mJ9AdTq_PfMUS33rvlLclbv2avVxfY2nOvjvWQMIA13XW1EFUHJwWNu8HoM0vA-WCUePgeQgXbKk/s320/IMG_6054.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Observe
the elephant seals from several other vantage points along the trail. <span style="color: #666666;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="background: white; color: #2a2a2a;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For more information, check the website </span><a href="https://www.piedrasblancas.org/hike-in-open-house.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Hike
In Open House - Piedras Blancas Light Station</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <span style="background: white; color: #2a2a2a;">or email </span></span><a href="mailto:PiedrasBlancasTours@gmail.com"><span style="background: white; color: #8d7824; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">PiedrasBlancasTours@gmail.com</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-19334964570989760312023-05-25T09:09:00.000-07:002023-05-25T09:09:40.852-07:00Seals get serious about resting<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Adult females join youngsters to molt </b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">May actually brings more elephant seals to the Piedras
Blancas beach than the winter breeding season. Lots of seals, doing a lot of
sleeping.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-A8iwPvrlQOyxroMxv3i_An6IuQJc_tB6nqWbS5wRxm2MD4bwdjzGxpuVSWuRhzJp7qineBdkSohYnOehVn_DeNj5ATfS_5wn1a1Aa-4WYRvuDzXdehCmFwP837NYiXGrKMqbNsDvk_S44P-6X2NQEZmHDF56k_uk2NYx_drjBqfddPEMWVCQQ3x/s2400/IMG_6469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2400" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-A8iwPvrlQOyxroMxv3i_An6IuQJc_tB6nqWbS5wRxm2MD4bwdjzGxpuVSWuRhzJp7qineBdkSohYnOehVn_DeNj5ATfS_5wn1a1Aa-4WYRvuDzXdehCmFwP837NYiXGrKMqbNsDvk_S44P-6X2NQEZmHDF56k_uk2NYx_drjBqfddPEMWVCQQ3x/w400-h266/IMG_6469.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That’s because all the adult females and the
not-yet-mature juveniles begin arriving in April and linger on the beach
through June. The females left the beach after giving birth and mating to get
next year’s pup started in February and March. They’ve been regaining weight
lost to their nursing pups, so that they are physically strong enough to
support another pregnancy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The juveniles left the beach to the breeding adults
during the winter. They return to the calmer beach of spring.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All will molt their skin during their stay.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Molting<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The old brown skin and hair peels off in chunks,
exposing new skin and hair underneath. Look for pearly gray seals next to brown
and tan seals. Check out the ones with skin curling off around eyes and nose.
Old scars also start peeling back the molted skin. You may see a marked seal.
Check with a docent or contact elephantseal.org to report a marked seal. All
marks are temporary, since they come off with the molted skin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_R3WPTnTtCM4JOXTubnPHYb3MabX3ZZYXxzLQVnflWjBy_N2DJKvncwBq4KVrTEDaeddKVh9yr0FVGGbHxcGV67FdD7clmnpFiJIWWgRc9YDTyVEMtjdvI5uehSyicGJm5fa-vnafFGA679hkfnnNcQzfgZiPULkOSHEt6O5t0G5Lf-Aq_xVrHPh1/s2400/IMG_6470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2400" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_R3WPTnTtCM4JOXTubnPHYb3MabX3ZZYXxzLQVnflWjBy_N2DJKvncwBq4KVrTEDaeddKVh9yr0FVGGbHxcGV67FdD7clmnpFiJIWWgRc9YDTyVEMtjdvI5uehSyicGJm5fa-vnafFGA679hkfnnNcQzfgZiPULkOSHEt6O5t0G5Lf-Aq_xVrHPh1/w400-h266/IMG_6470.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Female migration<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Unseen, the egg fertilized in mating two months ago
has suspended development during the short post-breeding migration. After
molting it implants in the uterine wall and begins developing into a pup.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">After resting and molting in May and June, the
juveniles go to sea until they return for the fall haul-out. The pregnant
females will leave on their long migration, to return in January to give birth
to their pups. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Seals and Floating Offshore Wind turbines<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Elephant seals are one of the many marine mammal, sea
turtle, fish and marine bird species that are the subject of research efforts
to investigate ocean conditions relative to Floating Offshore Wind projects. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Coastal Commission was briefed at its May 11
meeting by energy company representatives, scientists, state agency
representatives, fishermen and others. Watch the video recording of that
briefing </span><a href="https://cal-span.org/meeting/ccc_20230511/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">h</span>ere</a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
Slides and videos are in the Presentations drop-down menu.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ben Ruttenberg, director of Cal Poly’s Center for
Coastal Marine Sciences, gave a presentation on knowledge gaps in the deep
ocean, at </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">57:23 into
the video</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. At 4,000 feet, the depth off the Central Coast 20
miles offshore where wind turbines will be located, little is known. He
proposes using Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to assist in the
research. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oceanography
consultant Grace Chang gave a presentation on Upwelling at 1:13:54.</span> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Brandon Southall
of UC Santa Cruz, Duke University, and his own company, Southall Environmental
Associates, presented background on the effects of sound on marine mammals and
sea turtles</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> at </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1:31:28</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">. Josh Adams of the US Geological Survey is leading a
team studying the effects on marine birds,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
at 1:53:25</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">.
<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
entire briefing is of interest, but these presentations are especially
significant for elephant seals and other wildlife. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ports<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Offshore Wind
projects will also require substantial onshore support infrastructure. Morro
Bay is being considered for Operations and Maintenance, but larger ports, such
as Humboldt, Los Angeles and Long Beach, are needed for manufacturing and
fabrication of the 1,100-foot turbines and for staging and integration,
assembling the turbines and towing them out to sea.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">They’ll also need
waterfront and onshore upgrades for fueling, warehouses, offices, parking, and
crew support services.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">See port reports
from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, <a href="https://www.boem.gov/sites/default/files/documents/renewable-energy/studies/BOEM-2023-010.pdf;" target="_blank">California Floating Offshore WindRegional Ports Assessment</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">;</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the California State Lands Commission, “<span style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://www.slc.ca.gov/content-types/commission-releases-alternative-port-assessment-to-support-offshore-wind-2/" target="_blank">Alternative Port Assessment to Support OffshoreWind</a>;”</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and <a href="https://reachcentralcoast.org/wp-content/uploads/Waterfront-Infrastructure-Report-121522.pdf" target="_blank">REACH Central Coast</a>.</span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p> https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article275712876.html</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-36799397492046607182023-04-24T08:52:00.001-07:002023-05-25T08:59:35.622-07:00Seal Star Quality!<p><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tracked seal delivers data</span> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Every day brings surprises at the Piedras Blancas
elephant seal viewpoint, but April brought an especially exciting seal to the
beach. Docents spotted her on April 5, with two tracking devices attached. One
was on her head, the other on her back. She was carrying messages from long ago
and far away.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6va7F16ARLm_fYSI8OgsJOqJixHFXXVMaTslqr-3ulutCeFT37FU7TqyZroJ1oxHJPhXBGR4BZ53guSSIEleqPTxLcFtczpV3PGna0SbT8iScRV4gugdLW2kRjjX50hJhDtDoc8cf3gUAcADyK1g2aVXJ_VPNjBs-EWvQe8Mdcw_j36v_SNZZCmNg/s3944/Tracked%20seal%202023-04-55%20VP3U%20UCSC%20Seal%202%20Phil%20Arnold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3944" data-original-width="3944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6va7F16ARLm_fYSI8OgsJOqJixHFXXVMaTslqr-3ulutCeFT37FU7TqyZroJ1oxHJPhXBGR4BZ53guSSIEleqPTxLcFtczpV3PGna0SbT8iScRV4gugdLW2kRjjX50hJhDtDoc8cf3gUAcADyK1g2aVXJ_VPNjBs-EWvQe8Mdcw_j36v_SNZZCmNg/s320/Tracked%20seal%202023-04-55%20VP3U%20UCSC%20Seal%202%20Phil%20Arnold.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p>Such electronic tracking devices are used by the
research team at University of California Santa Cruz campus, so Friends of the
Elephant Seal docents notified them right away. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Salma Abdel-Raheem, Ph.D. student in the </span><a href="https://beltranlab.ucsc.edu/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Beltran Lab</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
recognized the seal as one of her research subjects. The team worked with their
colleague Dr. Dan Costa to get the State Park and National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration permits required to go on to the beach and retrieve
the devices.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ayp-mfpYXeb6ttxwtOihYpk7CqnokoqOXyhKPk21WnXedJEnTqYEzTAEOSBjBdNhdTtk8AczsDI2tfqaw6ClKa1rtZj1RKKTfGFJKhC0dHXee-LXxF03ln-gkJW6l1K1p2Yk5SvWhmXO10FMjFqVOYrgG8Ne3iShpEGFsX-vWuLHB6q6V0KFTaR9/s5472/Tracked%20seal%204-23%20(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ayp-mfpYXeb6ttxwtOihYpk7CqnokoqOXyhKPk21WnXedJEnTqYEzTAEOSBjBdNhdTtk8AczsDI2tfqaw6ClKa1rtZj1RKKTfGFJKhC0dHXee-LXxF03ln-gkJW6l1K1p2Yk5SvWhmXO10FMjFqVOYrgG8Ne3iShpEGFsX-vWuLHB6q6V0KFTaR9/w400-h266/Tracked%20seal%204-23%20(5).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All the pieces were in place to recover the
devices on Easter Sunday, April 9. After carefully shooing away the other seals
and giving the seal a sedative injection, they cut off the zip ties and
electrical splicing tape holding the device to a mesh footprints glued to the
fur. They also collected blood and tissue samples. Success!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This journey began May 2022</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The research team glued the tracking devices
to this seal May 2, 2022 at Año Nuevo. The seal was two years old then,
approaching adulthood from adolescence. She hauled out at Point Reyes a few
months later, on September 19, and stayed to October 24, a typical juvenile
haul-out.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We tried to retrieve her tags during this
period, but she was only accessible by boat and weather conditions were not
favorable,” Ms. Abdel-Raheem said.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The seal left the beach on her next migration,
and Piedras Blancas was the next they knew of her. That 342-day trip is the
longest of any of the juvenile seals the team has tracked so far, nearly double
the average trip of 184 days.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We're really excited to see what she’s been
up to in her year-long adventure!” Ms. Abdel-Raheem said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Successful foraging</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She fed well during that migration, doubling
her mass from 170 kgs (~375 lbs) in May 2022 to 344 kgs (~760 lbs) when they
recovered her tags on April 9, more than any other seal the team has studied. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She is beautiful and sleek, without any scars
or defects. I thought she was absolutely perfect, a Rock Star of a seal. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The FES docents started calling her Gigi.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Somewhere along the way, Gigi lost the VHF
transmitter that allowed the team to find her on the beach. However, the
tracking devices continued collecting data – salinity, depth, light, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">temperature, and accelerometers that measure
the orientation of the animal in the water column as well as its speed and
acceleration.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We can put these data together to help us
formulate an idea of what the seal is doing while out at sea. We can infer the
number of prey capture attempts, the body condition via buoyancy, how much time
the animal spends traveling, resting, or foraging, how the animal responds to
changes in its environment,” Ms. Abdel-Raheem said. “These data are
critical in informing our understanding of the ecology and physiology of this
species throughout juvenile development.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Along with Ms. Abdel-Raheem, the tag recovery
team included her two lab-mates, Zea Premo and Milagros Rivera, and their
adviser Dr. Roxanne Beltran. Zea is studying the development of diving
physiology in juvenile seals by using the blood and tissue samples that they
collect; Milagros is interested in the genetic diversity of northern elephant
seals and uses the DNA samples to inform their research.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The mesh footprint that held the tracking
devices will fall off as Gigi molts on the beach, now blending in among her
sisters. Thanks, Gigi, and farewell.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLu2heO9cGqzCQypwTydFL0ibOIqrURsYxEiIvidsupJbPkrtVr6T1-_uHvg9SAyeo-CX9DwugXAlUorUpE4EaxHDCYy3a3nOXvtAxX5VzG5_KB5UuGCGTQg49Wptj9WQ2nCPvlMKgY83p00oz-ok-U0dVJV5m82DWHDPgcFY7FKblyraYt9Y-V_d/s5472/Molt%202023%20(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLu2heO9cGqzCQypwTydFL0ibOIqrURsYxEiIvidsupJbPkrtVr6T1-_uHvg9SAyeo-CX9DwugXAlUorUpE4EaxHDCYy3a3nOXvtAxX5VzG5_KB5UuGCGTQg49Wptj9WQ2nCPvlMKgY83p00oz-ok-U0dVJV5m82DWHDPgcFY7FKblyraYt9Y-V_d/w400-h266/Molt%202023%20(6).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-456696130126441022023-03-23T09:20:00.003-07:002023-03-23T09:22:00.931-07:00Pups survive storms<div><a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/community/cambrian/article273349645.html?ac_cid=DM777441&ac_bid=-1846983314" target="_blank">Weaned pups move forward despite raging weather</a></div><div><br /></div>California’s coast has been pummeled by storms this winter. The pups born in
this year’s breeding season continue to mature and develop. As they do, they
leave the beach on their first migration. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMylFKzlmTkjWKfslt9y9EniiqzOwG7oV8JjQ4IKDZBEOmKewdWXlZCOATi2BocU9jwniNOiJ_8uN5E4WyLug_pDjQggkMP47okhEBWxQSjH8BniAN76Cox1R896-ojfj2HrSSUVDN6JjeUgYuY7K9ymdKNzsrEfQ0CTrGfly3ZMhxNPq1LFh4aFO/s5472/ESR%203-2-23%20N%20a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMylFKzlmTkjWKfslt9y9EniiqzOwG7oV8JjQ4IKDZBEOmKewdWXlZCOATi2BocU9jwniNOiJ_8uN5E4WyLug_pDjQggkMP47okhEBWxQSjH8BniAN76Cox1R896-ojfj2HrSSUVDN6JjeUgYuY7K9ymdKNzsrEfQ0CTrGfly3ZMhxNPq1LFh4aFO/w400-h266/ESR%203-2-23%20N%20a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The beach has been much changed by the
heavy rains and high tides. The north beach at the Piedras Blancas viewpoint has
lost a lot of its sand. Few mothers raised pups on that beach this season. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SQOFEEnt82cILvPfKy1B4ZNC8MmZ2lKbgcgIWXDzg5DQB9OJu0FDAYFOr7UQL7_jP8vl2M3zQ4Lbw6jUfX9iNqXik5NnExu55iIegn71HL73ZgNiuQYsoV4FSH9ie-C8x8RZFi9rbRty6AvtlRoIBN6Ox17TJQK74SRDu_Qid88KP9eKckffQvAi/s5472/Weaners%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SQOFEEnt82cILvPfKy1B4ZNC8MmZ2lKbgcgIWXDzg5DQB9OJu0FDAYFOr7UQL7_jP8vl2M3zQ4Lbw6jUfX9iNqXik5NnExu55iIegn71HL73ZgNiuQYsoV4FSH9ie-C8x8RZFi9rbRty6AvtlRoIBN6Ox17TJQK74SRDu_Qid88KP9eKckffQvAi/w400-h266/Weaners%20(3).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Much
sand was washed off the south beach, too, and water gushing from the culvert
carved a deep channel. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Weanlings </b></div><div><br /></div><div>Fat weaned pups, weaners or weanlings, appear
not to take much notice. Their blubber insulates them from cold and wet. They
find a spot among their peers and settle into sleep. Look for roly-poly seals. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVn65WLNIplJWNMU1DjP4VARwVg7JiUAMUFI7l4tZO1ZLS3FxHwJQASTugfByu_h1rXx05Tv3fmhkCNmK4CD0vXYphKa_uFWrQ89yzIYxvao-Jk-crBOR7rRc52SgKsIUqUmM1uipbr0ENaEeLlB2IR6K6Ubggs1JZ-Fka8NinPTkQN7C_SEQruaex/s5472/Weaners%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVn65WLNIplJWNMU1DjP4VARwVg7JiUAMUFI7l4tZO1ZLS3FxHwJQASTugfByu_h1rXx05Tv3fmhkCNmK4CD0vXYphKa_uFWrQ89yzIYxvao-Jk-crBOR7rRc52SgKsIUqUmM1uipbr0ENaEeLlB2IR6K6Ubggs1JZ-Fka8NinPTkQN7C_SEQruaex/w400-h266/Weaners%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Most have molted their black birth coats, although you may see some still
peeling. After they have molted, they have the counter-shaded coat of mature
seals, dark on the back and light on the belly. They look so perfect! No scars
or marks of older seals, whose skin tells the story of depredations at sea and
battles on land. </div><div><br /></div><div>They socialize in groups called pods. See them lying close to
the base of the cliffs, or across the beach where they can avoid any adult seal
mating or fighting. </div><div><br /></div><div>They take to the surf to practice holding their breath,
swimming and diving. They have strong instincts, but need practice to polish
their swimming and diving skills. They increase how long they can hold their
breath. They need to stay under water long enough to catch food, and dive deep
enough to avoid predators. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Blubber into muscle </b></div><div><br /></div><div>They haven’t had anything to eat
since their mothers left. They metabolize their blubber until they begin
catching their own food. They take this time on the beach to exercise, turning
some of that blubber into muscle. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshPahBQQ_qYY789U64PrJggD0eh0qnj2oRPBZjw5DRgnnGfPx4xjR_I1MP6klCDdRXcdedhjT5wnjrcFM7uUNwHGmD_RWKGBhC67JphR7QgxVhnPgcK-Br8sFWuz-Lmd-g44U3k02btG7_tTEcHICZKOWi5ShPqm-FTePIXGVaiCSZ_0yEvz6J32I/s4864/weaners%20(4).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="4864" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshPahBQQ_qYY789U64PrJggD0eh0qnj2oRPBZjw5DRgnnGfPx4xjR_I1MP6klCDdRXcdedhjT5wnjrcFM7uUNwHGmD_RWKGBhC67JphR7QgxVhnPgcK-Br8sFWuz-Lmd-g44U3k02btG7_tTEcHICZKOWi5ShPqm-FTePIXGVaiCSZ_0yEvz6J32I/w400-h300/weaners%20(4).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>They are more likely to be in the water at
night, but you may see them splashing around during the day. Their life deep in
the ocean will require them to hunt in the dark depths. </div><div><br /></div><div>No one teaches them how
to hunt. Although most survive on the beach, only half will survive that first
migration. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Few adult seals on the beach </b></div><div><br /></div><div>Few if any females remain on the beach.
They have left after nursing their pups for a month or so and mating with one or
more bulls on the way back to the ocean. After not eating for the entire birth
and nursing time, they are at their physiological low point. Time to get back in
their ocean home and feed to build up some blubber. </div><div><br /></div><div>They will return in April
and May for the annual molt. They lose their old skin, replacing it with new
skin underneath, once a year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEscKP1VfQgUAla3ne64KuwWfEKAMct2BPLH5tytRkxkm-1avp8e3ql7xdRApXPjv6uLIKl1HbnAXHVqTvrR_8Vp9Wk4gj4-aQ5LbwWINOmM2zZg0vQB5n61Uykd0ObchPTxEkCuou3iPbrtIxpeRKpI04s2DAzmQDS-GfpcWUhhhFZEGGdB61OVm/s2736/Thin%20males%20end%20of%20season%20(1).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEscKP1VfQgUAla3ne64KuwWfEKAMct2BPLH5tytRkxkm-1avp8e3ql7xdRApXPjv6uLIKl1HbnAXHVqTvrR_8Vp9Wk4gj4-aQ5LbwWINOmM2zZg0vQB5n61Uykd0ObchPTxEkCuou3iPbrtIxpeRKpI04s2DAzmQDS-GfpcWUhhhFZEGGdB61OVm/w400-h266/Thin%20males%20end%20of%20season%20(1).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>A few bulls sleep on the beach. They, too, are at
their thinnest. They may have gone more than three months without food. It’s the
price of eternal vigilance for a beachmaster. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Stranded weaners </b></div><div><br /></div><div>Underweight and
exhausted weaners may strand on local beaches. If you see one on the beach, you
can report it to the Marine Mammal Center 24-hour hotline, 415-289-7325 (SEAL).
They will send out a team to evaluate it and rescue it if necessary.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-74701286881351337782023-02-23T11:36:00.003-08:002023-02-24T07:04:52.628-08:00Bulls threaten for dominance<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article272551772.html" target="_blank">Somepups are already weaned</a></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Elephant
seal pups born since winter’s storms subsided are doing well at Piedras Blancas
beaches. Some are already weaned, others are still to be born. Bulls threaten
each other, and occasional battles break out. It’s breeding season at the
beach.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Highway
1 is now open north of the elephant seal viewpoint. The parking lot has been
graded, but it still has significant potholes. Go slow.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Look for
fat, roly-poly pups. After giving birth to 60-80 pound pups, the mothers nurse
them for about a month. The pups gain about 200 pounds. Some gain far more.
It’s unclear whether this additional weight is a survival advantage. The extra
blubber may make them more buoyant in the water, making diving more difficult.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoyC4wa413aX58ZldHCSBzYfowxq_qpOp2aiw7RaI5r1L8uXG-CXLIoDB_xdw2pgESg8DPIm357YYR4hczp4wzVU4yzLw2LbhK8d-IZfo_ap4___a0B_GHaLNW2SRBo9kvgubEDunXILpGgAXSSho5MrpoeFKcsJTo2fG_KAGJ8QpCWhcDOKQ-MBD/s5472/IMG_6341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoyC4wa413aX58ZldHCSBzYfowxq_qpOp2aiw7RaI5r1L8uXG-CXLIoDB_xdw2pgESg8DPIm357YYR4hczp4wzVU4yzLw2LbhK8d-IZfo_ap4___a0B_GHaLNW2SRBo9kvgubEDunXILpGgAXSSho5MrpoeFKcsJTo2fG_KAGJ8QpCWhcDOKQ-MBD/w400-h266/IMG_6341.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gull steals milk from this nursing pup.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">After
they’re weaned, some congregate at the base of the cliffs. They molt their
black baby coats and get their first countershaded fur, light on the belly and
dark on the back. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWWmWH-YHMkdspHmGrGEeE0R9pLaT4p7ncePE_mCQSWc6Azi_VCQB1jqM_fNEWjolhQUElcUCL7bvRLylnCIw6YYldDz4pHFRHnzI7TzGOqzvCbknYm4Y-2RTY8si3zYJPghoUrh7tocrY1-o6LbxmNnkccOf1RLnUbRu2yiCBqAhg-DAZ4yfBiPj/s5472/IMG_6342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWWmWH-YHMkdspHmGrGEeE0R9pLaT4p7ncePE_mCQSWc6Azi_VCQB1jqM_fNEWjolhQUElcUCL7bvRLylnCIw6YYldDz4pHFRHnzI7TzGOqzvCbknYm4Y-2RTY8si3zYJPghoUrh7tocrY1-o6LbxmNnkccOf1RLnUbRu2yiCBqAhg-DAZ4yfBiPj/w400-h266/IMG_6342.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This pup is molting his black natal coat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">As the
mothers come to the end of lactation, they come into estrus. They are then
ready to mate with the bulls. That’s when the bulls get competitive. Earlier
battles were over territory. Now, they battle over breeding rights. </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Look for
bulls raising their heads to stare at each other. One or the other will make a
move, backing off from a fight. It’s called dominance interaction, displacement.
From the viewing area, visitors can see which bull is dominant. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLExVIFmJ_46oaJdJNfEoziJiQTjp3urlC4vkeX5avytsHED9p_0VydUo_mCLtaWdFa4XoSRHDTmTp2SiHkCSncLSoJ2ku_1iD5y6ePkFqMALmp2u0kgyuig4sW_ptnCoTK7UO8T899snFULzE-3K-wh0TpuqnkI1bn5fiHPnhe30SgZJJuiIqhpAH/s2794/King%20Tide%202023%20Bull%20(38a).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2452" data-original-width="2794" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLExVIFmJ_46oaJdJNfEoziJiQTjp3urlC4vkeX5avytsHED9p_0VydUo_mCLtaWdFa4XoSRHDTmTp2SiHkCSncLSoJ2ku_1iD5y6ePkFqMALmp2u0kgyuig4sW_ptnCoTK7UO8T899snFULzE-3K-wh0TpuqnkI1bn5fiHPnhe30SgZJJuiIqhpAH/w400-h351/King%20Tide%202023%20Bull%20(38a).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This bull announces his dominance.</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Other beaches</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The beaches north of
the viewpoint, along the Boucher Trail, are also heavily populated with
elephant seal mothers, pups and beachmasters. Park at the lot beyond the
viewpoint and walk out.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Few bachelor bulls
have come to Hearst Memorial Beach at San Simeon Cove this year. They may have
gone to other beaches, such as the north beach at the Piedras Blancas viewpoint
and other points north.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Beaches at the
northern end of the Piedra Blancas viewpoint were completely inundated
repeatedly during high winter tides and atmospheric river storms. That beach is
almost exclusively populated by bulls this year.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiADrq7uNWpvvac8IwGKE8EBPsVuBzixo9xKXbIrlNlaCyvJ3GOd4w77svaQ0EY4Q_S-4EwOcfTF0QcgZnW69PIkWyrHFBMza_TlkwztO7DSERdgM1kl_UxtnEkUFaKgdabjlLu_3BI1WNh1CJv9iLeVcqGltkqTUPvLPWSTurDNtBy-tSEAmMo8uC/s5472/ESR%202-13-23%20N%20a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiADrq7uNWpvvac8IwGKE8EBPsVuBzixo9xKXbIrlNlaCyvJ3GOd4w77svaQ0EY4Q_S-4EwOcfTF0QcgZnW69PIkWyrHFBMza_TlkwztO7DSERdgM1kl_UxtnEkUFaKgdabjlLu_3BI1WNh1CJv9iLeVcqGltkqTUPvLPWSTurDNtBy-tSEAmMo8uC/w400-h266/ESR%202-13-23%20N%20a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The north beach at Piedras Blancas</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">State
Parks tours</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">During
this exciting season, February through March, State Parks is offering tours at
the Arroyo Laguna beach. Tours are available </span><span style="background: #F7F7F3; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">9 am
on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Tickets are $13 per person. Meet at the
parking lot, 2.25 miles north of the Hearst Castle Entrance and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">south of
the Piedras Blancas viewpoint. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Dress
for conditions, walking on uneven rocky and sandy ground, possibly muddy. </span><span style="background: #F7F7F3; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Wear sturdy, close-toed shoes. Dress in warm layers. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
<span style="color: black;">Bring cameras and binoculars. Call <span style="background: #F7F7F3;">805-776-2564 or check the <a href=" https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31187" target="_blank">website</a></span></span></span><span style="background: #F7F7F3; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> for information.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: #F7F7F3; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Superbowl
ad<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: #F7F7F3; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The Jeep ad shown
during the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAIZFQ3U3VI," target="_blank">Superbowl Electric Jeep Boogie Woogie,</a></span><span style="background: #F7F7F3; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> featured an elephant seal bull
backing up rapidly. It’s somewhat enhanced, but visitors may well see bulls
doing a similar maneuver, as they confront more dominant bulls. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: #F7F7F3; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Who Knew elephant
seals would make their way into such rarefied circles!<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-66742552920024762282023-01-21T13:07:00.000-08:002023-01-21T13:07:06.948-08:00King Tide<p> I didn't expect to see any pups at the north end of the Piedras Blancas viewpoint, but as I looked over the beach, I heard a pup barking! Despite the high tide, two pups were there. One was safely behind the rocks, but the other was following his mother on the beach.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf9W1ZpuNISHaeO-8WupAbH6YPqUsTfSKu1TyXMc8ZTStJ289QhKKxNKzp3EhM-KPWyndHK3B-XpNttgrblKvt4hA43OPwkfpA6BWp38f4y4Sjn5GPnA75Eb-syyMSkHi_vFUqQUBTN3FP4gkTjyriijjaqLFq_nM3ScqMlRv4JYujEVqMPr_3yWIZ/s5472/King%20Tide%20north%20two%20pups.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf9W1ZpuNISHaeO-8WupAbH6YPqUsTfSKu1TyXMc8ZTStJ289QhKKxNKzp3EhM-KPWyndHK3B-XpNttgrblKvt4hA43OPwkfpA6BWp38f4y4Sjn5GPnA75Eb-syyMSkHi_vFUqQUBTN3FP4gkTjyriijjaqLFq_nM3ScqMlRv4JYujEVqMPr_3yWIZ/w400-h266/King%20Tide%20north%20two%20pups.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I hope that one got corraled behind the rocks, where he will have a better chance of surviving. </p><p>The pup behind the rocks appeared secure, but when he went to nurse on the female next to him, she snapped at him. Apparently not his mother! Several other females are close by, so I'm optimistic he will find his mother, or another accommodating female. With so many pups washed away, there are surplus mothers available.</p><p>The King Tide washed over pups and mothers on the south beach, but I didn't see any washed away.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgOYj1s6zK__O4aL13RDfSWMZLq9kVCXNEsEr90kEf74J-JDPFBc1tnP1BF0mpxrssoPNG8fpA6dEAY8G5f4qdlsR-Vx0zEiS2PjyXcc1SZv5XYG5aUcOLPp2NFgh_dHwbAzelPygh6BwwNWlMDQuN6hD1URCJnyxtOGESv4P88CJhATGZ63kfJrG/s5472/King%20Tide%202023%20(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgOYj1s6zK__O4aL13RDfSWMZLq9kVCXNEsEr90kEf74J-JDPFBc1tnP1BF0mpxrssoPNG8fpA6dEAY8G5f4qdlsR-Vx0zEiS2PjyXcc1SZv5XYG5aUcOLPp2NFgh_dHwbAzelPygh6BwwNWlMDQuN6hD1URCJnyxtOGESv4P88CJhATGZ63kfJrG/w400-h266/King%20Tide%202023%20(1).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Some pups are confused and seeking any mother to nurse on.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ExC7WZN0vYCen01DGna-rFbXugvtZQXycLbwdkmuyp6gX9pTzNqP9BejNdWvc8l4Fq-yuXE_CLo8doe2VNUGu8346N8sEOmak1z6EjERc0Spelv7hVnXIiTcghtN68gdWAvrvlMbta8n6QCz0s7XFM8W8ju55a39RdJOYsBcNSBBkCISiJV-Ixu3/s5472/King%20Tide%202023%20two%20pups%20(27).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ExC7WZN0vYCen01DGna-rFbXugvtZQXycLbwdkmuyp6gX9pTzNqP9BejNdWvc8l4Fq-yuXE_CLo8doe2VNUGu8346N8sEOmak1z6EjERc0Spelv7hVnXIiTcghtN68gdWAvrvlMbta8n6QCz0s7XFM8W8ju55a39RdJOYsBcNSBBkCISiJV-Ixu3/w400-h266/King%20Tide%202023%20two%20pups%20(27).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Bulls weren't fighting, and some had found females willing to mate. This male was especially impressive. One of the biggest noses I've ever seeen.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlN_RP7GuvMJIJCc5U91Ysnm68Ic4l2iIYvA2hLcqJSaRAdcmA0VDDlHT738YiB-VaNXslIRiaTi5vIYd21fGi0RTHlbwpF8qcDYSjLUVC06L_fXcmPn5A2b7_5Ka5uM1j_TUY9KU6Ly2hAh2hTW2GwYtesnJ39fxVsVzPv1SH4pw6ZOpsCK_xzcPw/s5472/King%20Tide%202023%20Bull%20(23).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlN_RP7GuvMJIJCc5U91Ysnm68Ic4l2iIYvA2hLcqJSaRAdcmA0VDDlHT738YiB-VaNXslIRiaTi5vIYd21fGi0RTHlbwpF8qcDYSjLUVC06L_fXcmPn5A2b7_5Ka5uM1j_TUY9KU6Ly2hAh2hTW2GwYtesnJ39fxVsVzPv1SH4pw6ZOpsCK_xzcPw/w400-h266/King%20Tide%202023%20Bull%20(23).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBBDSuKKvq3IB1cJ2waNtbD9Cst340frkdoGp0hDq6ywslFCYDT5CIVw9AIaTXP4uJHUwV-GrQr69uxlOqGU7NI7DZsEWKv1NL7L32RKJQuPE8qo8PENDbZp9W33M4Nlc1AYvrgFKuviv0KbrfWGgYcvr9oCFcUhRnlh2OCSmiGvIZkNs1VzyeQkG/s5472/King%20Tide%202023%20Bull%20(24).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBBDSuKKvq3IB1cJ2waNtbD9Cst340frkdoGp0hDq6ywslFCYDT5CIVw9AIaTXP4uJHUwV-GrQr69uxlOqGU7NI7DZsEWKv1NL7L32RKJQuPE8qo8PENDbZp9W33M4Nlc1AYvrgFKuviv0KbrfWGgYcvr9oCFcUhRnlh2OCSmiGvIZkNs1VzyeQkG/w400-h266/King%20Tide%202023%20Bull%20(24).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Quite an impressive guy!<br /><div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-71690907365568050832023-01-12T12:05:00.001-08:002023-01-19T12:21:07.915-08:00Storms, high tides, wash over elephant seals<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pups are at risk</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winter is birth and breeding season for elephant
seals. Weather and King Tides always pose risks, but this season’s storms have
been particularly damaging. Many seal pups were washed away as waves inundated
the entire beach in parts of the Piedras Blancas rookery.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The elephant seal viewpoint beaches were completely
covered by waves during the first set of storms in early January. Nearly all
the pups that had been born on the north beach and many on the south were swept
away. Watching them struggle was terrible.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1AfcVo91_D7mUz3XuSpJl8cnQt59dQNDNKIwL7ef4kpClWMnRhBuJrxWV_yVXP4TlwQpMLkhVkRGYhTQeQ-pb-u_7DV5PRxSbvbd2Ef2b4H6DpNcBJ2l9v5Cz-thULq-EQ9xDvospr6A0ZShspZjXnBvZX8r83lJiJhXtMXiWIJJUy5uKTlZbWxQ/s4032/IMG_9276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1AfcVo91_D7mUz3XuSpJl8cnQt59dQNDNKIwL7ef4kpClWMnRhBuJrxWV_yVXP4TlwQpMLkhVkRGYhTQeQ-pb-u_7DV5PRxSbvbd2Ef2b4H6DpNcBJ2l9v5Cz-thULq-EQ9xDvospr6A0ZShspZjXnBvZX8r83lJiJhXtMXiWIJJUy5uKTlZbWxQ/w300-h400/IMG_9276.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The north beach.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCMUEDT-TYpoteI5xWQJZx4pgg7LninSQn2Sx8ZcyMvYREDBlxbDp4hEGwHcs08XPzZw8459xwCiBx4guDV8gh0EfiSqAE8P8R3s77R9j5X3hDeR0xVUz81ihyvBWh3tk_2bmHZWt0n8qXQKhz0QcXdt_NtWWUOC-xdrtUV_q1k4OBLLoF1HJ2RBR/s4032/IMG_9303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCMUEDT-TYpoteI5xWQJZx4pgg7LninSQn2Sx8ZcyMvYREDBlxbDp4hEGwHcs08XPzZw8459xwCiBx4guDV8gh0EfiSqAE8P8R3s77R9j5X3hDeR0xVUz81ihyvBWh3tk_2bmHZWt0n8qXQKhz0QcXdt_NtWWUOC-xdrtUV_q1k4OBLLoF1HJ2RBR/w300-h400/IMG_9303.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>The south beach.<br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Both north and south beaches were
inundated.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mothers do their best, but waves often overtake them. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCcu40dOjgTJ5nkS44QQUS0VpVEFyG7sEg1QJSnhYaDwsMkhJfTJOL0Q8kntc2wXFV5lFPwWq1qkK5z3WZ_NpkaqAyDPadGAimW-ye-YkjWM7OyyPj0UcEc2ZDttBSOKoF0YN-aJhlbFY2wHS032f4EX7c_ZNAGQGXpe34hoz0MDgz98RBFQrgCOI/s4032/IMG_9307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCcu40dOjgTJ5nkS44QQUS0VpVEFyG7sEg1QJSnhYaDwsMkhJfTJOL0Q8kntc2wXFV5lFPwWq1qkK5z3WZ_NpkaqAyDPadGAimW-ye-YkjWM7OyyPj0UcEc2ZDttBSOKoF0YN-aJhlbFY2wHS032f4EX7c_ZNAGQGXpe34hoz0MDgz98RBFQrgCOI/w300-h400/IMG_9307.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">Powerful waves pounded the beach.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdkPB_h4Ksx0z5hNhyAwsy3ykwpxrM6sL4cUu3FIL7d-SaQwTKqYy9Act7WgwunWxoXL9FEgk4WbQoFZvHKtf0sDl-26uS1duOvKVC6GhTA30ENuMRyNyB0c3G-oTEDlhYa0NX_XYd1mKHDR3bKuMraLxmCtE7SgLioobGOVsDz_3aCwEhbrJv8PC/s5472/IMG_6223.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdkPB_h4Ksx0z5hNhyAwsy3ykwpxrM6sL4cUu3FIL7d-SaQwTKqYy9Act7WgwunWxoXL9FEgk4WbQoFZvHKtf0sDl-26uS1duOvKVC6GhTA30ENuMRyNyB0c3G-oTEDlhYa0NX_XYd1mKHDR3bKuMraLxmCtE7SgLioobGOVsDz_3aCwEhbrJv8PC/s320/IMG_6223.CR2" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">This pup found refuge behind rocks, in a pile of
kelp.</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jim Mentgen, a Friends of the Elephant Seal docent for
four years, watched over the pups for hours over several days. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I was impressed with how resilient the pups are,” he
said. “Even though they were less than a week old, I watched some fight for two
or three days against the waves.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Two of the seven pups he observed survived.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Winter birth season<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The first week of January is the beginning of the
birthing season. A hundred or so seal pups had been born. More mothers,
eventually over 5,000, will come to the rookery, from the lighthouse to a mile
south of the viewpoint, to have their pups before the last is born in March. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The waves washed away some of the sand that provided high
ground for the seal pups. Less beach is left above high tide line.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">At the south end, enough beach is exposed for mothers
arriving since the first storm to have their pups. That works until high tides,
including King Tides, return January 17-23.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hqU3A61lRjQ6K0dj4bb32LuEDe5GIgC_Odch29IZXd74uo7qu9ryur8BTzwOSWHbPI-EqP4K7jYzExN31y4RDH8RgOSntayeTDQMmpLhdwNFe6VkOTbp3EgmdRD9UsIfMXWm1YiqSiJjClBSDUfIoklBvTXsAyLDgRlRw2BNW2WHnkZK1vnvzNZt/s5472/IMG_6237.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hqU3A61lRjQ6K0dj4bb32LuEDe5GIgC_Odch29IZXd74uo7qu9ryur8BTzwOSWHbPI-EqP4K7jYzExN31y4RDH8RgOSntayeTDQMmpLhdwNFe6VkOTbp3EgmdRD9UsIfMXWm1YiqSiJjClBSDUfIoklBvTXsAyLDgRlRw2BNW2WHnkZK1vnvzNZt/w400-h266/IMG_6237.CR2" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Elephant seal mothers and their pups fill the
beach above high tide line.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Many mothers have returned to give birth on the beach.
They are doing well and their pups are fine. As they nurse and gain weight,
they will be better able to overcome high tides later in the month. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRo-TgQguZM9sM4hI3Jyj1XggaL3eicpxF5msskm3DHPDzh5l5VqoVS2Xtsbq-dZTUiuvaMeVtYjX3TEw4RADOAr9VNPu2XufBcfSQ1hUEPJSRLJHwHUGZ0lAzhCCwWYQTyLl2zHtu60JZIJlaKQtndoHrFjC7KE0EcnkBHx-A3FonbquoNhn9LWP/s5472/IMG_6227.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRo-TgQguZM9sM4hI3Jyj1XggaL3eicpxF5msskm3DHPDzh5l5VqoVS2Xtsbq-dZTUiuvaMeVtYjX3TEw4RADOAr9VNPu2XufBcfSQ1hUEPJSRLJHwHUGZ0lAzhCCwWYQTyLl2zHtu60JZIJlaKQtndoHrFjC7KE0EcnkBHx-A3FonbquoNhn9LWP/w400-h266/IMG_6227.CR2" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">This pup is getting fat nursing on his mother.
Her belly is pock-marked with cookie cutter shark scars.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pups need their mothers<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Elephant seal pups have some ability to swim when they
are born, but they don’t have enough blubber to stay warm and they aren’t able
to feed themselves. They can’t survive in the ocean. Just being separated from
their mothers can be fatal. Maternal-pup separation is the most frequent cause
of pup death.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">However, many mothers tolerate nursing pups other than
their own. Over 80 percent of pups, even under less severe conditions, nurse on
mothers other than their own. The mothers who lost their pups may be willing to
adopt orphaned pups. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“In
my experience, events like these cause a lot of confusion and mixing of mothers
and pups,” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patrick Robinson, director of
the <a href="https://anonuevoreserve.ucsc.edu/" target="_blank">Ano Nuevo Reserve</a></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, said in an email.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxEuP7lPn2EBJrkq2cNTCHRXQi33-IZxyh-x--AfO4jfjXYWO3QLvFMw1kleEUDzZYgkR4fBMKvZZw33y2HMjszCS-h2lLhV7Ui8dttdn1OIpNrlnm1GUVnK5edMvNX9tFGuW_qw3OftxqTCvxfuQjB_xeKot9NUbtuA9hnx46GL5QPK6UtxNgfSW/s5472/IMG_6239.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxEuP7lPn2EBJrkq2cNTCHRXQi33-IZxyh-x--AfO4jfjXYWO3QLvFMw1kleEUDzZYgkR4fBMKvZZw33y2HMjszCS-h2lLhV7Ui8dttdn1OIpNrlnm1GUVnK5edMvNX9tFGuW_qw3OftxqTCvxfuQjB_xeKot9NUbtuA9hnx46GL5QPK6UtxNgfSW/w400-h266/IMG_6239.CR2" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Pups get separated from their mothers. Whose pup is whose?</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Next year’s pups<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whether the loss of pups will affect next year’s birth season
remains to be seen.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Elephant
seal mothers typically come into estrus and mate about a month after their pups
are born. Heather Liwanag, Cal Poly associate professor and principal
investigator at the Vertebrate Integrative Physiology lab, expects the bereft
mothers to stick around, come into estrus early and mate to get next year’s pup
started.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dr.
Robinson has observed mothers do that at Ano Nuevo. “In the past, we have had
big swell/tide events with pup loss and the females tend to stay for the
duration of the breeding season and mate as usual,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dr.
Liwanag and her <a href=" https://www.calpoly-viplab.com/elephant-seals/" target="_blank">Team Ellie</a> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">survey the seals on
the beach regularly and record their data. “</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We can estimate losses when we
analyze the data at the end of the season,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Roxanne Beltran, assistant professor of ecology and
evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz and principal investigator at the <a href="https://beltranlab.ucsc.edu/research/elephant-seals-2/" target="_blank">BeltranLab</a> studying the seals, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">is analyzing data on seal pups’ survival from Ano Nuevo’s history of elephant
seals, back to the 1960s.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It will take several years to know if this event will cause an
appreciable impact on the overall recruitment of the 2023 cohort,” said Dr.
Robinson.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Watch
the seals on the Friends of the <a href="https://elephantseal.org/live-view/" target="_blank">Elephant Seal beach cam</a></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Highway
1 is open as far as the elephant seal viewpoint. Drive up to visit when the
weather clears. The situation is constantly changing. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGVaqG5T9e2DSmUt1Xdf65BUjpwWVWIfGn8xNC8Dkf8yhpqHOjr_Ufw4D8AoNqjlZX_s23oZtqvimMo4CIOMwjFOwBTyw9XqGQR7od3vfPCSKJaL5axo2Oahx4Mk1v-tQdDm-Fe4uHAiB6POpvuZu-4mojFTDUygHxe-4iPzqinVxqB3YRls8hUVz/s5472/IMG_6232.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGVaqG5T9e2DSmUt1Xdf65BUjpwWVWIfGn8xNC8Dkf8yhpqHOjr_Ufw4D8AoNqjlZX_s23oZtqvimMo4CIOMwjFOwBTyw9XqGQR7od3vfPCSKJaL5axo2Oahx4Mk1v-tQdDm-Fe4uHAiB6POpvuZu-4mojFTDUygHxe-4iPzqinVxqB3YRls8hUVz/w400-h266/IMG_6232.CR2" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>This beachmaster still reigns over his domain.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-49840242104403238562023-01-07T11:50:00.001-08:002023-01-07T16:58:32.824-08:00Pups devastated by storm<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">We drove out after the cyclone bomb storm that hit California last night. Highway 1 was open, sky clearing occasionally, showing sun and blue sky, then clouding up again.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-433cb250-7fff-9b5e-a2d0-4188c9fa5dba"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CalTrans closed the highway at the elephant seal parking lot. The parking lot, deeply potholed, was about a third full, more than I’d expected to find on the morning after such a violent storm. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOuxeFdTy0XAm08504c55kVYsJ-Rdq_Y-BM8Sm_qhBkG6B2PtMl3aB9wbPPb9mc4KOiJeQi867WfcTfc41jW4DXf_7kQaWKJup14u40UQQ5H_kIHn7WMnH5smmOsA8Re5XrxqarSHVCtGpwknmeba_bBpmhrUgJkS3SMYV82pXnn4TtIh-R6PldjG/s4032/IMG_9291.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOuxeFdTy0XAm08504c55kVYsJ-Rdq_Y-BM8Sm_qhBkG6B2PtMl3aB9wbPPb9mc4KOiJeQi867WfcTfc41jW4DXf_7kQaWKJup14u40UQQ5H_kIHn7WMnH5smmOsA8Re5XrxqarSHVCtGpwknmeba_bBpmhrUgJkS3SMYV82pXnn4TtIh-R6PldjG/s320/IMG_9291.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Despite the weather, visitors were there.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the north end, the entire beach was washed away, inundated by high tide and waves. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOl2qugw0aOdBa4CNFWsFXMk6s8rr83PSFBGmSTy1EGI7Lt02GmvZXU3tQkRnbs77cbBjJ6HNbjoVnHKynS1ycs2lw6F6bSrF-gNiE_AbbuKj5GnM500X1gn8aGuA0OW0MFjRGFnV1RaaWKe0O2z5yAwJTXEaiyhdCqdnMrJip4P3uQeix0sdv9fU/s1175/Waves%20tides%20surge.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1175" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOl2qugw0aOdBa4CNFWsFXMk6s8rr83PSFBGmSTy1EGI7Lt02GmvZXU3tQkRnbs77cbBjJ6HNbjoVnHKynS1ycs2lw6F6bSrF-gNiE_AbbuKj5GnM500X1gn8aGuA0OW0MFjRGFnV1RaaWKe0O2z5yAwJTXEaiyhdCqdnMrJip4P3uQeix0sdv9fU/s320/Waves%20tides%20surge.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few pups continued to struggle, getting washed out by waves, then taking the respite between sets to make their way up the beach. Frantic mothers were unable to rescue their pups. Terrible to watch.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_08HsgFrlfgflirQmzmP5DlRnVWKO3UjxF4jCIPgTjTbDr1jBBDgzlkgk8wduJUVEnX-MQTLEUwBd5GdMWj72aazVPcX_MyB7xfh3XKshCLMsTDeSK7cPctHHrqIkl_71LQicyg-TOkYeO7H6Ik3jpJoZAyj8A8vVJdL33lZIV0M8aZSrCYI8e6-q/s4032/IMG_9286.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_08HsgFrlfgflirQmzmP5DlRnVWKO3UjxF4jCIPgTjTbDr1jBBDgzlkgk8wduJUVEnX-MQTLEUwBd5GdMWj72aazVPcX_MyB7xfh3XKshCLMsTDeSK7cPctHHrqIkl_71LQicyg-TOkYeO7H6Ik3jpJoZAyj8A8vVJdL33lZIV0M8aZSrCYI8e6-q/s320/IMG_9286.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Much of the south beach was washed away. The raised area I think of as the maternity ward was overwhelmed by wave action. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYr7FvLTJNuqUm3uRYNBCTZhd_jpVL3GEsC9aTa6ZO_q8R324DlUQGzOetwdS7yUifDdqWmBqZLhPMzUwn2Ac9y3te9O9EfIwEsTIFRbyZZYWE3W5bf_sE4-ix2PuvAZ2iPyiLvhHBfbZW2VS9oIk4olncKMqZLhZ19J4AGAfOr9eZvk2fgzYVYDN/s4032/IMG_9292.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYr7FvLTJNuqUm3uRYNBCTZhd_jpVL3GEsC9aTa6ZO_q8R324DlUQGzOetwdS7yUifDdqWmBqZLhPMzUwn2Ac9y3te9O9EfIwEsTIFRbyZZYWE3W5bf_sE4-ix2PuvAZ2iPyiLvhHBfbZW2VS9oIk4olncKMqZLhZ19J4AGAfOr9eZvk2fgzYVYDN/s320/IMG_9292.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few pups near the drainpipe called for help, no mothers within range to help.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAj5WvOlxKWx6GEAk_bdVqF8ZQYY2kAC_mrNGtZYwHE2mtDiHB1Z_hdFecyTCvjjbKpeS5xKI3x9K7hczCZOE9_JxDLz69ayc5_bDeNd5ikRCtD4K03L9wFLTk8rcEkiAPCExj9Oq10aZleEa5AO_dJryWttPtclDLRZMa1GNB5vxmxI7c-JFH98B/s4032/IMG_9296.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAj5WvOlxKWx6GEAk_bdVqF8ZQYY2kAC_mrNGtZYwHE2mtDiHB1Z_hdFecyTCvjjbKpeS5xKI3x9K7hczCZOE9_JxDLz69ayc5_bDeNd5ikRCtD4K03L9wFLTk8rcEkiAPCExj9Oq10aZleEa5AO_dJryWttPtclDLRZMa1GNB5vxmxI7c-JFH98B/s320/IMG_9296.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The few pups remaining in the central part of the beach sought refuge close to the bluff, but waves tossed them even there.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9y-syMb_0a-iUwpZbfT98ZcwDiho5uWL0mSwUJWtHcsWxZW285U8Ou8ezINUSLdnxqZ57Njm65amraLyZqvhGJR6FFw4GCwZsSy8HfkMwVuwkoOZ_10vzhc6heZ3gB2bb6-ce6BHK8KEqzca_xnoEEE_BjczcJo23r-iwyCRK5g3NKvyaK_FcL7Z/s4032/IMG_9315.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9y-syMb_0a-iUwpZbfT98ZcwDiho5uWL0mSwUJWtHcsWxZW285U8Ou8ezINUSLdnxqZ57Njm65amraLyZqvhGJR6FFw4GCwZsSy8HfkMwVuwkoOZ_10vzhc6heZ3gB2bb6-ce6BHK8KEqzca_xnoEEE_BjczcJo23r-iwyCRK5g3NKvyaK_FcL7Z/s320/IMG_9315.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Mothers did their best to protect their pups.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRruZgWA-g7YT_YbCuEyM92j9vuJdsTVo10rbjOfKaKkgEuXN_dumIlryT15vi9ChJvDVw8ArRoz9-MUYKxCwqjHzavLLirGNz3fMJ2cb3fThlB5HMBBjyt3vuOFvY3HJF6HI4hpEV6v32fYUzZb8RsqGS3wAzqZBkKDR3NawhU1dNhpTQRqqrZTfR/s4032/IMG_9313.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRruZgWA-g7YT_YbCuEyM92j9vuJdsTVo10rbjOfKaKkgEuXN_dumIlryT15vi9ChJvDVw8ArRoz9-MUYKxCwqjHzavLLirGNz3fMJ2cb3fThlB5HMBBjyt3vuOFvY3HJF6HI4hpEV6v32fYUzZb8RsqGS3wAzqZBkKDR3NawhU1dNhpTQRqqrZTfR/s320/IMG_9313.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The high ground was in the dunes. These seals huddled together. </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsF6vDU8QA8hnxaw5fWoCUjzbdaaZBUte_N-OjSSfs3IXQYg4_z64ihzvE0H6ZOQIayF0Z7MIxwzLRWdC4z9l8CJelDFlMeBs2woYOMmnnDXhc4uiWxzPfNvi0WyTb6SXzF7bOIjuC-wy94O1le5QFLQULW5CEWSsqmboTu-gmhQW7dYq8cHF9xfgE/s4032/IMG_9322.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsF6vDU8QA8hnxaw5fWoCUjzbdaaZBUte_N-OjSSfs3IXQYg4_z64ihzvE0H6ZOQIayF0Z7MIxwzLRWdC4z9l8CJelDFlMeBs2woYOMmnnDXhc4uiWxzPfNvi0WyTb6SXzF7bOIjuC-wy94O1le5QFLQULW5CEWSsqmboTu-gmhQW7dYq8cHF9xfgE/s320/IMG_9322.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">One newborn was tangled in kelp, unable to free himself. Mothers fretted helplessly.</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Check up on the seals in the live webcam, <a href="https://elephantseal.org/live-view/">https://elephantseal.org/live-view/</a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">A terrible day. How this loss of pups will affect the population remain to be seen. Normally, mothers nurse for a month, lose about a third of their body weight, come into estrus, mate, and next year's pup gets started. Mothers who have lost their pups msy leve the beach without mating. Whether they will come into estrus and find mates on other beaches isn't known. <br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-22429911960970142262022-12-26T09:58:00.001-08:002023-01-07T10:05:49.880-08:00'Tis the season!<p><b><a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article270351607.html " target="_blank">Newborn pups in the sand<br /></a></b></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">A few fully mature bulls are on the beach, along with
a few pregnant females and a few pups already born. The first pup was born
December 10. The second was born December 18, with more following. It’s like
popping corn: pop, then pop, then pop pop pop pop pop.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nY9sj0YT-0PC81A7q-e-5Fn53vtU_9nSpO-n02p1bb2NJboYvYNBbojetv7FCINrsmVDCCMQ0WL-LSAOH5_oMIPUoa_ao1aYQwlKe5_f71TJ44gXsDs7lzWE-TaPGbdSMLVzD1Thgk105Be_ncwqb7Etv0wmxShxnpNag3LKGZehEVZ6qVx6sryw/s1600/IMG_6209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nY9sj0YT-0PC81A7q-e-5Fn53vtU_9nSpO-n02p1bb2NJboYvYNBbojetv7FCINrsmVDCCMQ0WL-LSAOH5_oMIPUoa_ao1aYQwlKe5_f71TJ44gXsDs7lzWE-TaPGbdSMLVzD1Thgk105Be_ncwqb7Etv0wmxShxnpNag3LKGZehEVZ6qVx6sryw/s320/IMG_6209.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Dominance settles conflict<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Elephant seal mothers do an excellent job, under the
circumstances. The few mothers who begin the season, with plenty of space
around them on the beach, are tempting to young, less dominant males. The
attraction is overwhelming, even though the mothers will refuse the males until
they come into heat, after they have nursed their pups for a month. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The full-grown beachmasters aren’t imposing discipline
on those upstarts yet, but watch for signs of dominance. Although the goal of
battling is to establish the dominance hierarchy, once the beachmaster
prevails, he can reduce conflict. Just seeing him makes less dominant bulls bustle
away.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A young bull approached that first mother and pup,
nudging and shoving her around. She got separated from her pup, which can be
serious if they aren’t reunited. A pup separated from its mother can lose out
on that rich milk, and even die.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The beachmaster rumbled up toward that miscreant, who
looked over his shoulder and headed in the other direction. Mother found her
pup and all three settled down to a long winter’s nap.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pups are born night and day<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JRkCg1hOUvaemNXnbvf-32vkOZp4KDGBDCgfQEQgrmmDFtX8_6pBtzTt0pujla8YmOZnlZ7PXYO9moexMIHUiM1d7xxHEcJBNfh3oMLjXun6QLaSZl1xxfAw-pyt5qUbHtJB9-UJNWxZMsrQYxtdSTO6HJtN-DQ6yP-laJRiKhKHhNz0uMg0W-3g/s2432/IMG_5764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2432" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JRkCg1hOUvaemNXnbvf-32vkOZp4KDGBDCgfQEQgrmmDFtX8_6pBtzTt0pujla8YmOZnlZ7PXYO9moexMIHUiM1d7xxHEcJBNfh3oMLjXun6QLaSZl1xxfAw-pyt5qUbHtJB9-UJNWxZMsrQYxtdSTO6HJtN-DQ6yP-laJRiKhKHhNz0uMg0W-3g/s320/IMG_5764.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You may be lucky enough to be watching when one is
born. Watch for females fussing and tossing a lot of sand. They sometimes toss
so much, they build a sort of perch for themselves, with deep ditches dug out
on both sides.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Birth starts with a gush of amniotic fluid, as the
water breaks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyYqxaJXUGaoLMdpIysfMjA6srAndY2pkIy4o1bJDEDIFv69N4yvY03nx8VuEiOXaWcq7bHEq8T5OytvoN_nQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wildlife viewing requires patience. Pregnant females
will continue to arrive on the beach, into February. Check the live webcam for
beach conditions, </span><a href="http://www.elephantseal.org/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">www.elephantseal.org</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pups are all black, about three feet long and weigh
about 70 pounds when they’re born. They soon plump up on their mothers’
nourishing milk. They’ll nurse for a month. In the last few days of nursing, the
mothers mate with one or more males. They wean the pups abruptly when they
return to the ocean.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Watch seals from a distance<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bulls that lose out find their way to other local
beaches, sometimes called bachelor beaches. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Hearst Memorial Beach at San Simeon Cove attracts
them. Human beach visitors may be surprised by a seal among the driftwood.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">FES will post guides there for the duration, through
March, to advise visitors as to seals they may encounter. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The seals are not aggressive toward humans, but the
bulls that come to San Simeon may challenge other bulls to fight on the beach.
Human visitors stay safe by giving the seals a wide berth. <a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/wildlife-viewing/" target="_blank">NOAA Marine LifeViewing Guidelines</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> advise no closer than 50 yards, half a football field. Keep the dog leashed so
as not to annoy them. Don’t get between two seals, who may decide to charge
each other, or a seal and the water, in case he suddenly decides to go back
into the waves. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Informed beach visitors can coexist with the seals.
The Piedras Blancas rookery is an example of seals and humans sharing the
beach. Stay safe and give the seals time to rest. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-90184481138923445122022-12-20T10:06:00.001-08:002023-01-07T10:12:35.199-08:00Welcome back, bulls!<p><b><a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article270245032.html " target="_blank">Time to find out who’s the baddest seal on the beach</a></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first mature bull elephant seal arrived at Piedras
Blancas November 15. “He came in with a whisper,” said Cynthia Coulter, a
Friends of the Elephant Seal docent who watched him. He’s the harbinger of the
breeding season. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nCrTD8a1zgilRO9UU2Ag5Xma3x-3tMf50oCKYjOryaOloqVQ0N_cvxi2Kvsp-j2rprB1ctFon4oKtptp3DScqeTCVjv0QTmU0rdMhu2g5uwZbeCWKLt4bpQtx9m_6-F95BO1BJZmJlXHpOXsQz6GHlQulnZEteyo9eKXmSwnWEzM-Lj35iFqCpXK/s2736/First%20bull%202021%20(8).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nCrTD8a1zgilRO9UU2Ag5Xma3x-3tMf50oCKYjOryaOloqVQ0N_cvxi2Kvsp-j2rprB1ctFon4oKtptp3DScqeTCVjv0QTmU0rdMhu2g5uwZbeCWKLt4bpQtx9m_6-F95BO1BJZmJlXHpOXsQz6GHlQulnZEteyo9eKXmSwnWEzM-Lj35iFqCpXK/s320/First%20bull%202021%20(8).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The site is free, open all day, plenty of space to
accommodate holiday visitors. Come out and see how many of his cousins have
joined him.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The biggest and the toughest<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Identify bulls by their noses
(technically, proboscis), and chest shields. Fully mature bulls have long noses
that have a notch across near the top. When the seal is lying down, the
chest shield wraps around the neck to the level of the eyes or further.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Like the nose, the chest shield starts to
develop at puberty and continues to expend throughout the rest of their life.
Though males often attack each other’s neck, the chest shield develops whether
or not they fight.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdHqPPYodWeBlb7XImhM3sUdybQpSN5tWzJ5K3-V6RtStmH9VAsJU8nxETxh38N-nDYJAUXAu2iKxuq0N8uk3qYBDZ2G3Qcob179K9K-fBNgkLJ-Zyb_XC8LuX6vGUutqBhHA4z0pkWfB5iDF_eyv_LR-H2jqrssphhnr7M_PAi596rG3usqvzel4/s2432/Bulls%20fighting%20(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2432" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdHqPPYodWeBlb7XImhM3sUdybQpSN5tWzJ5K3-V6RtStmH9VAsJU8nxETxh38N-nDYJAUXAu2iKxuq0N8uk3qYBDZ2G3Qcob179K9K-fBNgkLJ-Zyb_XC8LuX6vGUutqBhHA4z0pkWfB5iDF_eyv_LR-H2jqrssphhnr7M_PAi596rG3usqvzel4/s320/Bulls%20fighting%20(4).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Compare noses and chest shields with other seals
on the beach. Some are large individuals, but their shorter, smooth noses and
less developed chest shields betray their junior status.<o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;">Smaller
seals are juveniles, still enjoying their fall haul-out rest. They will soon
return to the ocean and leave the beach to the breeding seals. They will be at
sea, eating and growing, until April and May.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Dominance hierarchy<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This first arrival will be ready to take on other bulls to
establish the dominance hierarchy. Those relationships govern the beach during
the breeding season. The bulls will have settled who bests who by the time the
pregnant females begin arriving in December, although it may change as bulls
fight through March.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The most dominant bulls, at the top of the hierarchy, are most
likely to get to breed, so there’s a lot at stake when bulls fight. It’s not
just who won, but who gets the prize.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>They recognize each other<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bulls learn which ones they have beaten and which have
beaten them. Elephant seal researcher Burney Le Boeuf concludes, “It is clear
that they have the mental capacity to remember scores of competitors.” They may
look a lot alike to us, but each one is an individual to his competitors. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A bull who loses a fight, even if he has been dominant to
others, falls way down the hierarchy. He may be so demoralized that he drops
out of the competition for breeding for the rest of the season.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmc2b6puh5yYioeVixoV0CipMIOECspsZq9dUiv2R2TKQJmuh_nnV6a0MYQD1cjgPSyQtFPfo_-BqeRL-rE5BVBDQGPcytmsaE2pd_ILfXvsxBu632f-mE2NsqbCqMeQ2pYfkOOchhI9D9kJwkLyYZtIPDXxJBlM_DPzIekbKxY7-Etk0uSvlEwk_J/s1824/Bull%20in%20surf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmc2b6puh5yYioeVixoV0CipMIOECspsZq9dUiv2R2TKQJmuh_nnV6a0MYQD1cjgPSyQtFPfo_-BqeRL-rE5BVBDQGPcytmsaE2pd_ILfXvsxBu632f-mE2NsqbCqMeQ2pYfkOOchhI9D9kJwkLyYZtIPDXxJBlM_DPzIekbKxY7-Etk0uSvlEwk_J/s320/Bull%20in%20surf.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Females arrive in December<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The females have been feeding and gestating their offspring
since May. The first female usually arrived in early December. Her pup was born
December 10, at the far south end of the boardwalk. Follow the crowd!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-60682361367552454172022-10-20T10:40:00.001-07:002022-11-17T13:25:13.929-08:00Young seals arrive for haul-out<p><a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article267658497.html " target="_blank"> Respite between migrations</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">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.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgII01PLMHGLjHIwspI65xwMvWMC_1UmzEO2teUogLaFmRKRHbRJ1NTrHW2GWeCOkgVjX6aXNaRgcwhJJkFQ_VN0VNRwn_q0BWyhyBv2wSIazswijMGIe8KuhJVzBoKr3HNM9ueYMnqFlaRiR2QTv63pWD4ifky1KD-cx2UkKa9uQFFqquL7E3G-7Zc/s2736/IMG_5605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2736" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgII01PLMHGLjHIwspI65xwMvWMC_1UmzEO2teUogLaFmRKRHbRJ1NTrHW2GWeCOkgVjX6aXNaRgcwhJJkFQ_VN0VNRwn_q0BWyhyBv2wSIazswijMGIe8KuhJVzBoKr3HNM9ueYMnqFlaRiR2QTv63pWD4ifky1KD-cx2UkKa9uQFFqquL7E3G-7Zc/s320/IMG_5605.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal">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, <i>Elephant Seals:
Pushing the Limits on Land and at Sea.</i> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Long time, no food<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The beach is relatively quiet, stirred occasionally by two
young males testing their dominance against each other.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgcTh-FmovP1nbJk4XcFyvtJDgS_U6wcTXOL-uYk2GkbW2bza0v42ub49QAv-VCXE65UA6OH2xocwgAWQoGFcCTZTqgQARtAVJkQ39E_CFI5s9275aS0IMXMFyRT4EvsUD-XJmghkim5hoT7AA-aJ6pYnQnc7SppRIhsD-d7ukXJxQ5mCGrrsBRFs/s2736/IMG_5600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2736" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgcTh-FmovP1nbJk4XcFyvtJDgS_U6wcTXOL-uYk2GkbW2bza0v42ub49QAv-VCXE65UA6OH2xocwgAWQoGFcCTZTqgQARtAVJkQ39E_CFI5s9275aS0IMXMFyRT4EvsUD-XJmghkim5hoT7AA-aJ6pYnQnc7SppRIhsD-d7ukXJxQ5mCGrrsBRFs/s320/IMG_5600.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">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.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>On land only briefly<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Superheroes!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Other viewpoints<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The trail leads to the Piedras Blancas Light Station, but to
tour that, you have to <a href="https://piedrasblancas.org/index.html" target="_blank">make a reservation</a>. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSjLUJm9JbQ7Z_AJRF7OyTav-Qe4J1CIP2g8pUInVCU1sBSYqdcrQKYls9DLetgSkyD5ykLyPzdYGsgLn-uo5kX1k_5iLgi3GTkS57yv1PzGxDkkn1rlVGrIIZIoRVO4-tw1GZQldrhSXhvQ0kmUx1TvRVSu9wOSV866Bt-zOj0IzFvGoe9EdOW_5/s680/Lighthouse%20lens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="680" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSjLUJm9JbQ7Z_AJRF7OyTav-Qe4J1CIP2g8pUInVCU1sBSYqdcrQKYls9DLetgSkyD5ykLyPzdYGsgLn-uo5kX1k_5iLgi3GTkS57yv1PzGxDkkn1rlVGrIIZIoRVO4-tw1GZQldrhSXhvQ0kmUx1TvRVSu9wOSV866Bt-zOj0IzFvGoe9EdOW_5/s320/Lighthouse%20lens.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">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.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href=" https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/community/cambrian/article266145611.html" target="_blank">Local newspaper coverage here. </a> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-39786597368012780702022-09-22T10:06:00.002-07:002022-10-24T10:36:02.604-07:00Predators patrol offshore<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Young elephant seals make a good blubber meal<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A local photographer documented <a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article265672891.html " target="_blank">orcas offshore theCentral Coast</a> in September. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Orca sightings are unusual, although the fact that they are there is not
unexpected.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Orcas are known to prey on elephant seals, although
it’s not well documented. This happens far at sea, with no humans around to
watch. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">September is when juvenile elephant seals return to
Central Coast beaches. They come to take a month or so of rest, the Fall
Haul-Out. Hundreds of them sleep on the beach at Piedras Blancas. Look for size
differences, nose development, and scars from prey attacks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfy1RP0rPAV9reBnYhQMs4Ms60KfV1CSB8hxvodURHFQ1f2WSZFqdx2Sbps3jPWhxrFXo_ax03MGhj5avtbATW_e8tbpIvOkwDNrY8oOvbR8WYo_gx3tTlubyvX68khpwXRBsorAMOZkeytZUIA1RIyqmty78YrfZMgMuT-xL-6st8VUGvpJ8KQat/s1824/IMG_6062.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfy1RP0rPAV9reBnYhQMs4Ms60KfV1CSB8hxvodURHFQ1f2WSZFqdx2Sbps3jPWhxrFXo_ax03MGhj5avtbATW_e8tbpIvOkwDNrY8oOvbR8WYo_gx3tTlubyvX68khpwXRBsorAMOZkeytZUIA1RIyqmty78YrfZMgMuT-xL-6st8VUGvpJ8KQat/s320/IMG_6062.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Predators feed on young seals<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Great white sharks prey on the juveniles in the
Farallon Islands and Tomales Bay in the fall. Perhaps these orcas were here to
do the same.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Vincent Shay, the photographer, identified two groups
of orcas: one group of four and the other of five. They were likely transient
orcas, which feed on marine mammals. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">According to Port Townsend Marine Science Center at
Fort Worden State Park, “transients travel and hunt in small groups of 2-6
individuals. These small groups are usually based on a female and her
offspring, but often change as animals mature and disperse.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Evading predators<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Elephant seals dive deep, but predators can attack when
they come to the surface to breathe. Staying in the dark depths is safer. They
feed below their predators’ usual hunting depths. Even traveling between their
feeding sites and the rookery, the seals travel in long v-shaped dives, as far
as possible below the range of their predators. Researchers call it “the
lightscape of fear.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u_yZhbpRKurWZdZ3UsI_qykGBEm7mAkzKMlcN5MOgWXidS4ZZa8l0lrrLAXcCDyDLiMHsM_U1NO9dzJumvrtLrU5UR-TIJMUZOjZhiVHJObo2fAvknJdQbHJw-QLfqxNiJK76CykKoFFfvtdtZOYe3S8HL-fa5KaBBcYgOWJkcLgKLobmdS08KlN/s1824/IMG_6065.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u_yZhbpRKurWZdZ3UsI_qykGBEm7mAkzKMlcN5MOgWXidS4ZZa8l0lrrLAXcCDyDLiMHsM_U1NO9dzJumvrtLrU5UR-TIJMUZOjZhiVHJObo2fAvknJdQbHJw-QLfqxNiJK76CykKoFFfvtdtZOYe3S8HL-fa5KaBBcYgOWJkcLgKLobmdS08KlN/s320/IMG_6065.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Sharks and orcas hunt at relatively shallow depths.
Orcas are also intelligent and have complex social structures. They hunt
cooperatively in groups. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Sharks know when they are outclassed, though. They
clear out when orcas swim through. One study found that when orcas showed up in
the Farallons, sharks hunting elephant seals relocated to Ano Nuevo and other
shark aggregation sites. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">At Piedras Blancas in September, seals rest peacefully
on the beach, waking up for the occasional match with another young seal. Each
one is a survivor of the dangers they face from predators even more fierce than
they are.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">San Simeon Cove Winter Guides<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">December through March is elephant seal breeding
season. Piedras Blancas rookery is the main local breeding area, but alpha
bulls chase less dominant males off those beaches. They often come to San
Simeon Cove to rest and recuperate from their battle wounds.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRQ_pXR-TkZ4MSm4oRGzRAZvzxxL8q7AIaUf0OkdV_zsOv2Lak7Q1j2pQ7hQxPAsjj1GoWWmge0f5V2crWeWv9IoVgsiVX8khjSbRUoIMg71tMow4lB138caeiLrtfD7Ld9KvQ7yRUNtpNF2VaPERxfRVlu6wO6NzE_Ed-8BVPicK8sPaJ501EuD1/s3022/San%20Simeon%20bulls.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2490" data-original-width="3022" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRQ_pXR-TkZ4MSm4oRGzRAZvzxxL8q7AIaUf0OkdV_zsOv2Lak7Q1j2pQ7hQxPAsjj1GoWWmge0f5V2crWeWv9IoVgsiVX8khjSbRUoIMg71tMow4lB138caeiLrtfD7Ld9KvQ7yRUNtpNF2VaPERxfRVlu6wO6NzE_Ed-8BVPicK8sPaJ501EuD1/s320/San%20Simeon%20bulls.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Human visitors and their dogs also come to the cove.
The seals are an unexpected wildlife experience for them. Friends of the
Elephant Seal guides help to keep both sides safe.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The bulls that come to San Simeon Cove are less
dominant only to other, even bigger bulls. They weigh two tons or more. While
they are rarely aggressive toward beachgoers, 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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">FES trains volunteers to educate the public and help
everyone enjoy visiting the beach. Join them by <a href="https://elephantseal.org/become-a-docent/" target="_blank">applying online </a>by October 17.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> 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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article266192816.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article266192816.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-59442531851225379882022-08-25T10:01:00.001-07:002022-10-21T10:06:39.327-07:00Beachmasters dominate their domain<p> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Get a close-up look at the big bulls</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">August is a good time to look closely at elephant seal
bulls at Piedras Blancas. They have conveniently placed themselves near the
visitor entrance at the north end of the parking lot. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A few juveniles are early arrivals for the Fall Haul-Out,
their annual rest before the adults take over the beach for winter breeding
season. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The smallest are the Young of the Year, last winter’s
pups. Those who have survived return to the beach from their first migration. Only
about half survive, so every young seal who is on the beach has already passed a
major hurdle on the way to adulthood. They still look perfect, their skin smooth
and unscarred.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0sct2VZ5sI2u96EkNwNTXW9oWmV4IaIZZ852ASdSoo1PPAvPQzHh7r78XkUYDurxl526seC7UpG4HKlnsVyZR1shYwYYeJdCPVRc3pGZHbVX0hgew8-xYr6eBl2wtAe5T1uC5inNxKTVGb9CwhJDSQduNd8E2z_36iuiUthga95YLWmnVl2GGkBb/s1824/IMG_6002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0sct2VZ5sI2u96EkNwNTXW9oWmV4IaIZZ852ASdSoo1PPAvPQzHh7r78XkUYDurxl526seC7UpG4HKlnsVyZR1shYwYYeJdCPVRc3pGZHbVX0hgew8-xYr6eBl2wtAe5T1uC5inNxKTVGb9CwhJDSQduNd8E2z_36iuiUthga95YLWmnVl2GGkBb/s320/IMG_6002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Fine points of dominance<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Only males grow the trunk-like nose, technically
proboscis. It starts growing when the seal is about five years old, and
continues throughout its life. Nose size is a relative indicator of age.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The other visible indicator is the chest shield, the
pink skin on that blubbery chest. It starts as a roughness or puckering of the skin
and grows along with the nose. Fully mature bulls have a chest shield that is
level with their eyes. Now, that’s a beachmaster!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2-936ooqhwGw6z78jXPXXoFm3tJIB86SoGakWFOU2qOGzRRb7z61zSCpcgFSZDBKMJDIi5R03Icb1cDf2H-pH5KVNkOm_FTdC1Lqa_G8cWKtYkbDZTY03Qgpf16wbuiw1PHPzRMjUC4ELMdBmMogmVnoW17FVHKEZ3KGzxZoYRPovlFOUBhnqS6r/s1824/IMG_6003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2-936ooqhwGw6z78jXPXXoFm3tJIB86SoGakWFOU2qOGzRRb7z61zSCpcgFSZDBKMJDIi5R03Icb1cDf2H-pH5KVNkOm_FTdC1Lqa_G8cWKtYkbDZTY03Qgpf16wbuiw1PHPzRMjUC4ELMdBmMogmVnoW17FVHKEZ3KGzxZoYRPovlFOUBhnqS6r/s320/IMG_6003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The adult bulls will leave the beach soon, to continue
feeding and gaining blubber. They need to be at their physical peak for the
breeding season. They will return in November and December for the duration,
about 100 days.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Countershading<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Several visitors this week asked about the
light-colored bellies on seals sleeping on their backs. It’s a common ocean
camouflage. Predators swimming below them see the light belly blending with the
bright surface above. Those swimming above the seal see the dark back blending
into the dark depths.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poop<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Several recent visitors were vitally interested in
elephant seal poop. Seals rarely poop on the beach – thank goodness, we
wouldn’t be standing mere feet above them if they did! The smell would be
overwhelming. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As the seals leave their foraging grounds up north to
return to the beach, they eat only prey that happens into their path. They poop
out most of what they’ve digested along the way. What’s left is the remains of
red blood cells being recycled during that fast. The result is bright orange
liquid poop.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It's not an established fact, but I’ve occasionally observed
seals poop out an orange cloud just before they surf out onto the sand. Thank
you!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Young seals<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some of the small seals are juveniles, two or three
years old. Young males and females look very much alike. Around age five, males
begin growing that nose, and getting bigger than females.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVuOTxAv4sZSEBDLYQZpSxkqLPkqNDxFYQnJ207l5KNgD8aLnpU3SSL_ox9YN-hHW6d7HWbo9kSeRcdYyQdNCRBW3KHt_35YRi9Cc_cZkHnvFa1JpzQSpJhflB0dr6l8Zx8sCPuXPir_5ArCOz8Pt69zPz677kVgZMr_DUy1Qnd2AuBxMMeaBGDWP/s1824/IMG_6004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVuOTxAv4sZSEBDLYQZpSxkqLPkqNDxFYQnJ207l5KNgD8aLnpU3SSL_ox9YN-hHW6d7HWbo9kSeRcdYyQdNCRBW3KHt_35YRi9Cc_cZkHnvFa1JpzQSpJhflB0dr6l8Zx8sCPuXPir_5ArCOz8Pt69zPz677kVgZMr_DUy1Qnd2AuBxMMeaBGDWP/s320/IMG_6004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They are the early arrivals for the Fall Haul-Out, six
weeks or so of rest. The young seals migrate along the same routes as their
elders, although they don’t go as far as the other adults until their third or
fourth migration.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They are diving and feeding almost constantly, more
than 20 hours a day.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They arrive and depart individually, so young seals
will be on the beach through the end of November, and perhaps beyond. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article264691139.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article264691139.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-6596978079838951812022-07-29T10:44:00.002-07:002022-07-29T10:44:40.878-07:00Bull molting season<p><a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article263784353.html" target="_blank"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Fewer but bigger seals on the beach</span></a></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s bull seals’ turn to take over the beach. They are
here to rest and shed their skin in July and August, the annual molt.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Summer marks the conclusion of the short post-breeding
migration. The seals on the beach are mostly pretty good size, but they will
get a lot bigger during the long migration, from August to November.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Catastrophic molt<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All elephant seals molt their skin once a year. Female
seals and juveniles were on the beach in May and June. They have returned to
the ocean, leaving the beach to the bigger males. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6Q7EIdPci_-SaLyS2dHUw_xJ4-2OnUImeHXdS6uW2k0N1HDLoywytcYp6eaKfV1AV5h2_yb6P7-xY9hY5CucD5O3DNmAvnScZNYKug0ClAd4O_cG9HfojSkBbXXyi31Zh5ckCrSQe6_i3Blu-q3BD3EJ-amgZosh8EhhJakcD48tjW9elBeLhSz1/s1824/IMG_5982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6Q7EIdPci_-SaLyS2dHUw_xJ4-2OnUImeHXdS6uW2k0N1HDLoywytcYp6eaKfV1AV5h2_yb6P7-xY9hY5CucD5O3DNmAvnScZNYKug0ClAd4O_cG9HfojSkBbXXyi31Zh5ckCrSQe6_i3Blu-q3BD3EJ-amgZosh8EhhJakcD48tjW9elBeLhSz1/s320/IMG_5982.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">This group of elephant seal bulls looks ratty, but they are just molting their skin. Note the crease beginning to develop in the nose of the seal in the center, indicating that he is six to seven years old. (Christine Heinrichs photo)</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Last year’s brown and tan skin, actually a layer of
keratin, peels off in chunks, taking the hair with it. Beneath it is a pearly
gray or silver coat. They look terrible, but it’s normal. Back in the 1960s,
before locals recognized the seals, a resident who saw one called the police to
report this sickly seal. An officer came out and agreed that it looked bad, and
shot it to put it out of its misery. Burney LeBoeuf recounts the incident in
his book, <i>Elephant Seals: Pushing the limits on land and at sea.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Of course, the seal was fine; it was just
molting.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ask a blue-jacketed Friends of the Elephant Seal
docent to see and touch a sample. It’s rough, not soft and silky, like otter or
fur seal fur. Elephant seals rely on their blubber for warmth, not their fur.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Seals spend an average of 32 days on the beach to
molt. They arrive and leave individually over the summer months. Seals are
solitary at sea. Every seal for himself.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Adults and youngsters<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The seals currently on the beach are mostly subadults,
about six years and older, and fully adult males, eight years and older. The
size of the nose is a rough indicator of age. It starts growing when the seal
is about five, and continues throughout its life. A few juveniles, and even
some of last year’s pups, now called young of the year, find places to rest
among their much larger cousins. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZjigZTfK9HZddCsggHsCa7HYB3n_qP_rMfsFhbAO-qzJ3vqIZ6Rz-nGYkNJINItI3WbqV1rCc69lIbcLQXT11GXa7Qc-6fygn4sLPxq0g3RD9bG59vP3C_oAeIYvf-hJdkTa0hYu2OIioQbe7MCp5pUG-HwiGwTwJusnBJIuBhSRXQFQtBdlUBT6/s2006/Subadult%20male%20comparison%20chart001%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2006" data-original-width="1481" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZjigZTfK9HZddCsggHsCa7HYB3n_qP_rMfsFhbAO-qzJ3vqIZ6Rz-nGYkNJINItI3WbqV1rCc69lIbcLQXT11GXa7Qc-6fygn4sLPxq0g3RD9bG59vP3C_oAeIYvf-hJdkTa0hYu2OIioQbe7MCp5pUG-HwiGwTwJusnBJIuBhSRXQFQtBdlUBT6/s320/Subadult%20male%20comparison%20chart001%20(2).jpg" width="236" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sleeping in the sand<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Notice that seals sleeping on their sides breathe only
through the nostril that is on the opposite side from the sand. It’s a reflex
behavior, shutting the nostril close to the sand to avoid inhaling sand. This
ability to close one nostril independent of the other may be related to their
adaptation to deep diving under high pressure.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Navigation<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Exactly how elephant seals navigate their migration,
as far as 5,000 miles, isn’t known. Experiments that took seals about 40 miles
from their home rookery showed they found their way back in a couple of days.
Tracked during their dives, the researchers found that even as seals drifted
downward on their dives, spiraling as many as 20 times, they headed in their
original direction when they got back to the surface.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Since they are underwater most of the time, whatever clues
beckon them on their way must be ones that they can discern underwater. That
could include acoustics (sound), geomagnetism, and visual clues from the
shoreline. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I wonder if they look for Davidson Seamount and Morro
Rock. What does their underwater world look like to them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660035304553039348.post-74916017082229327172022-06-24T10:30:00.001-07:002022-07-29T10:38:56.799-07:00Bulls return<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article263145698.html " target="_blank">Females, young seals gradually leave the beach</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">An other-worldly moan rises from the beach, warbling
on the crisp wind. It’s a female elephant seal at Piedras Blancas. If it
weren’t such a bright sunny day, I’d be creeped out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Female seals usually bark, unlike the belching bellow of
the males. But they are capable of variations on their vocal theme. Those
yodels must mean something to them, as yet undeciphered by their human
observers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The crowd disperses<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Most seals have vacated the south beach, but the seals
still crowd the north end of the viewpoint. The adult females and juveniles of
both sexes who are concluding their molt take little notice, but adult bulls are
arriving, one by one. Soon they will dominate the beach.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s the usual summer transition. Time for the
juveniles to return to the ocean for a few months. They’ll return in the fall
for a few weeks rest, then spend the winter at sea, leaving the beach to the
breeding seals. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pregnant females<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The females came into heat as they stopped nursing
last season’s pups. They mated and the next pup got started, but in a process
called delayed implantation, the embryo stopped developing after a few cell
divisions. The females returned to the ocean for their annual short migration,
from February or so to May.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That gives them a chance to regain some of the blubber
they lost while nursing their pups. They stay on the beach with their pups
during the birth and breeding season, not eating. They lose about a third of
their body weight.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Adult females leave to spend the next seven months
feeding at sea. They are pregnant with the next generation, and will return in
winter to give birth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Return of the bulls<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bulls are returning. It’s their turn to have the beach
to themselves in July and August, while they molt their skin. The old brown and
tan skin peels off in chunks, revealing the new skin underneath. New hairs are
just beginning to grow, making the skin gray. As the hair grows, the color
becomes brown. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The upper layer of skin is new, but old scars remain. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sFXrqJSGz5-cYgUPd7hpiPnCIyezQojeuH8kf4Z-d3oVEOOKWi6ael32otRVTC17srhZ5RSg_iWRC9vvLJ2aYNBG-FIpAoACEZjX_m9swc3dr0JEECA60qRjdN_FH6i1QSa3fbrl0R1QJ9FRacYaigSoh18fzXW1n-ZHg9rQ4pblcC_DresTKBIf/s2736/IMG_5082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2736" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sFXrqJSGz5-cYgUPd7hpiPnCIyezQojeuH8kf4Z-d3oVEOOKWi6ael32otRVTC17srhZ5RSg_iWRC9vvLJ2aYNBG-FIpAoACEZjX_m9swc3dr0JEECA60qRjdN_FH6i1QSa3fbrl0R1QJ9FRacYaigSoh18fzXW1n-ZHg9rQ4pblcC_DresTKBIf/w320-h180/IMG_5082.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">These two bulls are companionable on the beach during the summer molt. (Christine Heinrichs photo)</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The adult bulls are the ones with the trunk-like nose
that gives them their name. The nose, technically proboscis, and the chest
shield, begin growing at puberty, when the seal is about five years old. They grow
throughout the seal’s life, so chest shield and nose size are relative
indicators of age. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bulls don’t fight much during the summer. They may bellow
at each other occasionally, but flipping sand is about the most activity on the
beach in June. It’s a good time for summer visitors to observe them at rest. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_U1sj8X_krrfvn8NU7qPsFIuzRxhJ35hVm6iJHRCXrKrv5gd3VP_qmKRtRy6qsAgJgIN59ziVp59Dl5GXangzaroI4NirqLLjVTf73mnT82KEgJ0cxXWNdW4KorOFR8x8NtaUgrSyOL4nhmapWAe8xg8316PyOV-HzCdvzUFFL_cpoEjctylpG4cf/s2736/IMG_5116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2736" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_U1sj8X_krrfvn8NU7qPsFIuzRxhJ35hVm6iJHRCXrKrv5gd3VP_qmKRtRy6qsAgJgIN59ziVp59Dl5GXangzaroI4NirqLLjVTf73mnT82KEgJ0cxXWNdW4KorOFR8x8NtaUgrSyOL4nhmapWAe8xg8316PyOV-HzCdvzUFFL_cpoEjctylpG4cf/s320/IMG_5116.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">This senior bull, with a large nose and chest shield, eyes the two younger ones sparring in the surf. (Christine Heinrichs photo)</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Elephant Seal Visitor Center<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Friends of the Elephant Seal celebrates the grand
opening of its new, expanded visitor center in Cavalier Plaza, 250 San Simeon
Avenue in San Simeon on July 16. Starting at 11 am, they’ll have a <span style="background: white; color: black;">program of research and educational
presentations, children’s story time, book signings, a Seal Science exhibit,
new exhibits on how blubber keeps seals warm, seal anatomy, diet, and local
predators. Guides will be available to answer questions. State Parks staff will
lead a guided walk along the Boucher Trail, north of the viewpoint, which overlooks
several more elephant seal beaches. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXIDhR5JlelKHqRFbqLJj13_O0YM4w9tuMQRNpbFM-UgDHnDXNNj1VoReXyMLmif_Pau2Z0it0Elwir9hqOMNJbl3RybfW-BngHCY8m_bo4cJukDhf8Ud1W774iSSUP8m2komUOWXGiKuU48uzXZOQAhbCQMRGWfpPOVAb_2zG2v8PML9xZxO_oKQ/s1280/FES%20Visitor%20Center.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXIDhR5JlelKHqRFbqLJj13_O0YM4w9tuMQRNpbFM-UgDHnDXNNj1VoReXyMLmif_Pau2Z0it0Elwir9hqOMNJbl3RybfW-BngHCY8m_bo4cJukDhf8Ud1W774iSSUP8m2komUOWXGiKuU48uzXZOQAhbCQMRGWfpPOVAb_2zG2v8PML9xZxO_oKQ/s320/FES%20Visitor%20Center.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The center is open for
visitors daily 10 am-4 pm. </span><a href="https://elephantseal.org/july16/"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">https://elephantseal.org/july16/</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0