I’m fortunate to live near an elephant seal colony. I’ve written before about how these behemoths of the ocean return to a nearby beach to mate and give birth.
Elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) are the size of a Chevy Suburban, and can weigh as much as two American football teams (offense and defense). They spend most of their lives hunting for food 2,000 feet below the ocean’s surface.
It’s an amazing experience to see them when they come ashore to molt, give birth, and mate. Males compete for territory and the right to mate. The battles are fierce and often bloody. As a result, lower status males are vanquished from the prime real estate. And they can turn up in unexpected places. So can animals who are not yet large enough to reproduce.
This picture from the Point Reyes National Seashore Facebook account shows one such wayward elephant seal.
This seal parks better than some of my friends! 🙂
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I love this! Great photo! I just visited Ano Nuevo and seeing the elephant seals in their natural habitat is awesome, but this picture shows just how special our area is!
Haleyc, we are certainly lucky to live in an area with elephant seals!