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Discovering Northern Elephant Seals
Considerations
When: January through March
Where: Elephant Seal Overlook and Historic Lifeboat Station in the Chimney Rock area. Due to the narrowness of the road, school buses cannot access the overlook; cars or vans must be used.
How: This unit may be used independently of all other units. If you want to use an additional unit during your visit, we suggest that you consider the "Observing Pacific Gray Whales" unit. Whales are usually visible January through April from the Point Reyes Headlands.
Weather: The chart below lists average climate expectations based on previous years data. The weather is subject to change quickly and can vary dramatically from different locations within the Seashore on the same day.
| Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May. | Jun. | Jul. | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |
| Temperature (Fahrenheit) | ||||||||||||
| Normal Daily Maximum |
53 | 55 | 55 | 57 | 60 | 62 | 64 | 64 | 65 | 62 | 58 | 54 |
| Normal Daily Minimum |
41 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 47 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 51 | 48 | 45 | 42 |
| Extreme High | 78 | 85 | 80 | 92 | 94 | 99 | 96 | 96 | 103 | 96 | 81 | 79 |
| Extreme Low | 21 | 26 | 29 | 32 | 32 | 39 | 39 | 42 | 39 | 32 | 29 | 18 |
| Percipitation (inches) | ||||||||||||
| Normal | 12.0 | 9.0 | 8.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 9.0 | 12.0 |
| Maximum | 20.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 | 11.0 | 8.0 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 13.0 | 18.0 | 19.0 |
Grade Level: This unit was designed for middle school students (6th - 8th grade), but it has been field tested for fifth grades as well. Most lessons can be easily adapted to accommodate the needs of your particular grade.
Seasonal Events: Consult the chart below to assess which months may be best for a class visit to Point Reyes National Seashore.
| Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May. | Jun. | Jul. | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |
| Gray Whale Migration |
X | X | X | |||||||||
| Elephant Seal Breeding |
X | X | X | |||||||||
| Bird Migration |
X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
| Coho Spawning | X | X | ||||||||||
| Steelhead Trout Spawning |
X | X | ||||||||||
| Tule Elk Rut Season |
X | X | X | |||||||||
| Peak Flower Blooms |
X | X | X | |||||||||
| Tidepooling | X | X | X | |||||||||
| Geology | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Ocean & Land Habitats |
X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Resident Birds | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
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