• The Point Reyes Beach as viewed from the Point Reyes Headlands

    Point Reyes

    National Seashore California

There are park alerts in effect.
show Alerts »

  • Operational Changes Took Effect on May 1

    The Lighthouse Visitor Center is now only open Fridays through Mondays. The Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center will be closed through late December 2013. More »

  • 2013 Harbor Seal Pupping Season Closures

    From March 1 through June 30, the park implements closures of certain Tomales Bay beaches and Drakes Estero to water-based recreation to protect harbor seals during the pupping season. Please avoid disturbing seals to ensure a successful pupping season. More »

Multimedia Presentations: Science Behind the Scenery

The following Quicktime videos are from the Pacific Coast Science and Learning Center's 2004 "Science Behind the Scenery" DVD. These videos are available as either "Low" resolution videos (compressed to 12 frames per second with a screen size of 240 pixels x 180 pixels) for those with slower connections, or as "Medium" resolution videos (compressed to 15 frames per second with a screen size of 320 pixels x 240 pixels) for those with faster connections.

Introduction: Science at Point Reyes National Seashore 2:41 minutes
Low (3,408 KB) | Medium (11,743 KB)

Northern Elephant Seals 5:46 minutes
Low (9,377 KB) | Medium (28,951 KB)

Tomales Bay Biodiversity Inventory and Partnership 6:24 minutes
Low (8,568 KB) | Medium (29,290 KB)

Tule Elk 6:29 minutes
Low (8,248 KB) | Medium (29,196 KB)

Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary 7:27 minutes
Low (9,764 KB) | Medium (33,396 KB)

Myrtle's Silverspot Butterfly 5:32 minutes
Low (14,614 KB) | Medium (37,067 KB)

Coho Salmon and Steelhead Trout 6:39 minutes
Low (11,727 KB) | Medium (35,617 KB)

Vegetation Mapping 4:23 minutes
Low (5,017 KB) | Medium (18,469 KB)

Fire Management 6:17 minutes
Low (8,665 KB) | Medium (29,428 KB)

National Park Service Science and Learning Centers 2:10 minutes
Low (3,336 KB) | Medium (10,553 KB)


If any of the multimedia presentations do not play on your computer, you may not have the latest version of QuickTime.

Top of Page

Did You Know?

Bubblegum coral. Image courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.

On the Cordell Bank, just 32 kilometers (20 miles) to the west of Point Reyes, there are deep-water corals that are 10 to 15 meters (33 to 50 feet) high and estimated to be over 1500 years old. More...