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.
R&R
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.
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.
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.
Local heroes
The Piedras Blancas site is featured in Smithsonian magazine.
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.
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.
At Piedras Blancas, that’s made simpler by the landscape of bluffs overlooking the beach. The boardwalks keep visitors safe while providing unlimited viewing.
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.
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.
Speakers Bureau
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.
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.
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.
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.
To arrange a speaker, call the FES office, (805) 924-1628 or
request a speaker through the website.
The Speaker’s Bureau Coordinator will respond and set up a date.