Last updated: March 25, 2021
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Elephant Seal Monitoring Season Summary: Winter 2020-2021
Season Highlights
- Elephant seal population numbers are slightly higher than they were in winter 2020.
- Drakes Beach continued a trend of population increase and movement up the beach towards the visitor center.
- In January, a big storm from the south caused pup separations and some mortality but overall mortality was low this year. Hundreds of fat healthy pups are on the beach!
NPS / Marjorie Cox, NMFS Permit No. 21425
Visitor’s View
In 2019 a group of nursing females and their pups occupied the beach right in front of the Ken Patrick Visitor Center, pushed into the area by a big winter storm. This occurrence caused a total closure of Drakes Beach. In the last two years park staff have used deterrence methods to prevent females from pupping on the beach in front of the visitor center. However, this year a big storm rolled through causing females to move to this larger area and a pup was born on the beach overnight. Eventually, a harem of about 20 females formed. Drakes Beach was once again closed in its entirety, but visitors had a great view of nursing moms, pups, and the beachmaster from the sidewalk!
NPS / Marjorie Cox, NMFS Permit No. 21425
NPS / Marjorie Cox, NMFS Permit No. 21425
By the Numbers
Elephant Seal Seasonal Peaks, 2017-2021 (from direct ground counts)
A comparison of the last five years of elephant seal population numbers shows a growth trend. Last year’s peak cow count is slightly lower than 2019, but that could be due to poor visibility during surveys at the peak of the season. This year’s weaned pup count is the highest count on record.
Total Elephant Seal Counts, Winter 2020-2021
Female Elephant Seal Counts, Winter 2020-2021
Elephant Seal Pup Counts, Winter 2020-2021
Weaned Elephant Seal Counts, Winter 2020-2021
The Seal Cycle
While the breeding season is the most populous and active time for elephant seals at Point Reyes, the seals are in the park all year round! Elephant seals come on shore twice a year: adults come to breed and then to molt, while juvenile seals come onshore for the “juvenile haul out” and to molt. The peak of female molting begins in April, but park researchers have already seen a few returning adult female “molters”. It would be highly unusual for a full-term pregnant female to arrive this late, so if you see a large female seal, she is most likely returning to shed her fur and first layer of skin.
NPS / Marjorie Cox, NMFS Permit No. 21425
Weekly Updates Recap
News This Week
- Elephant seal pupping season is here! The first pup in the park was born on December 21st.
- Females are arriving daily in large numbers.
- High surf and tides are pushing seals into protected areas in Drakes Bay.
- Drakes Beach to the southwest of the visitor center is closed. The road to lighthouse/chimney rock is closed past Drakes Beach road.
Humans typically only see elephant seals when they are hauled out on the beach, however elephant seals lead an incredibly active and industrious life, spending most of the year out in the open ocean. When out to sea they spend 90% of their time under the water diving, foraging, and surfacing! Elephant seals are incredible animals, below are some basic facts that will help you appreciate them even more.
- How much do they weigh?
- Adult males- up to 5000 lbs.
- Adult females- up to 1300 lbs.
- Newborn pups- approx. 70 lbs.
- What do they eat? Deep water dwelling fishes and squid
- How deep do they dive? Average dive 300-800 meters
- Deepest dive recorded? Over 1700 meters!!!!
- How long do the pups nurse? Approx. 27 days
- How many pups do they have? One pup/year.
It is not uncommon for park staff to hear from concerned visitors that there is a large dead elephant seal on the beach. While not impossible, it is rare for sub-adult or adult seals to be found dead on Point Reyes beaches. A more likely explanation is that the seal is in a deep slumber and displaying a physiological function called apnea. During the breeding season seals are not feeding and their only source of water is provided by metabolizing fat. In order to conserve water and energy the seals will practice apnea, or breath holding. An adult seal averages breath holds of 6-8 minutes but can hold their breath on land for up to 25 minutes! If you are worried that a seal on the beach may be deceased, be patient and wait for a breath or a snort! Also, look for scavengers such as turkey vultures as they are the most reliable sign that a seal is no longer with us.
News This Week
- Arrivals of pregnant female elephant seals and pup births are surging.
- Lower than normal numbers on the headlands and higher numbers in Drakes Bay due to king tides and high surf.
- Drakes Beach to the southwest of the visitor center is closed. Potential restricted access on all of Drakes Beach dependent on seal numbers in front of visitor center.
With social distancing on everyone’s mind perhaps you are wondering if elephant seals subscribe to this behavior. It depends on the seal, just like it depends on the human. When females come on land to pup they join large groups of other females, often in very close quarters. These aggregations of females (usually defended by an alpha male) provide protection for the females and pups from non-alpha male seals, terrestrial predators, and high tides and waves. Females will often be touching other females but can be very aggressive if another seal gets close to their pup. Males who have not acquired a group of females are often distant from other male seals as to avoid aggressive encounters. However, they are quick to close the distance if a fight is necessary or if a female is available for a mating attempt.
Marvelous MilkWhen pups are born, they weigh about 75 lbs. and by weaning time have inflated to about 300 lbs! This incredible weight gain, about 8.5 lbs. a day during nursing, can be attributed to the rich milk of the elephant seal mother. When nursing begins the fat content of the milk is about 15% (Human milk is about 5% fat), and gradually increases to about 55%, plateauing after 21 days. This physiological system seems to play a role in water conservation. Fasting mothers are in-taking no water during nursing. As the pup develops water conservation strategies such as breath holding and increased insulation, the water content of the milk is reduced as fat content increases, helping to save some water for mom AND fatten up the pup!
News This Week
- Pregnant females continue to arrive at all sites.
- The first weaned pups of the season have been spotted on Drakes Beach.
- Drakes Beach to the southwest of the visitor center is closed. Potential restricted access on all of Drakes Beach dependent on seal numbers in front of visitor center.
- The Fish Dock and the beach at The Historic Lifeboat Station are closed.
Not just our reptilian friends have forked tongues, elephant seals do too! Researchers have hypothesized that a split, or bifurcated tongue, is related to nursing and has been co-opted by some species for suction feeding. Elephant seals do not use their teeth to catch their food, but instead use powerful suction to catch it. Other marine mammals that are suction feeders and have bifurcated tongues are gray whales and bearded seals. However, other pinniped species that aren’t suction feeders have split tongues as well, so more research needs to be done to determine if a split tongue is a function of feeding.
Spotlight on the Headlands
One of the fantastic features of elephant seal colonies at Point Reyes is that there are several colonies spread out on and around the point, with different geographic features! The first seal pup born in the park, after their extirpation from hunting, was on a headlands beach in 1981. The headlands have pocket coves with sandy beaches. These coves are inaccessible to terrestrial predators which is a plus for seals! Erosion and bigger storms due to climate change, have shrunk these beaches. In big storms seals are susceptible to being washed-out which is not good news for seal pups, as they can get separated from their mothers or drown. Stay tuned for highlights from the other Point Reyes colonies!
News This Week
- Pregnant female elephant seals continue to arrive at all sites.
- Big winter storm effects seal movement around park.
- All of Drakes Beach is closed to the public. The parking lot at Ken Patrick Visitor Center will be open Fri-Mon 9:00 am–5:00 pm.
- The Fish Dock and the beach at The Historic Lifeboat Station are closed.
A large storm system moved through the park this week bringing rain, high winds, and strong surf. With the wild weather the seals sought out protected beaches to land. One of the deepest and most protected beaches in Drakes Bay happens to be right in front of the Kenneth Patrick Visitor Center. Park staff have made efforts to discourage seals from establishing a harem at the visitor centers, but nature is the boss no matter what the humans may plan. Overnight this past week 12 females showed up on the beach in front of the visitor center and one gave birth! Now that there are pups in the area, park staff will not continue mitigation efforts. Nursing is a sensitive time for seal pups, to protect them all of Drakes Beach will remain closed until further notice.
It’s Not Snot!
Why do elephant seals seem to have perpetually runny noses? It may seem they have a severe case of the sniffles, but in fact this white fluid around their nostrils is pulmonary surfactant! Surfactant is an important substance for mammal respiratory systems, decreasing surface tension of lung fluid, and allowing for gas exchange. In deep diving pinnipeds, like elephant seals, it serves another function. Immense pressure during deep dives collapses the lungs. Pulmonary surfactant acts as a “non-stick” coating that allows lungs to re-expand.
News This Week
- Pregnant female elephant seal arrivals have slowed considerably.
- As females depart mating activity increases.
- All of Drakes Beach is closed to the public. The parking lot at Ken Patrick Visitor Center will be open Fri-Mon 9:00 am-5:00 pm
- The Fish Dock and the beach at The Historic Lifeboat Station are closed.
Spotlight on South Beach
At the far southern end of the Great Beach is one of Point Reyes’ lesser-known elephant seal colonies. The deep beach with copious amounts of soft sand would suggest an ideal habitat for the pupping season, however the population at South Beach has not expanded over the years. Park researchers have a few hypotheses as to why the seals from the more exposed headlands do not appear to be relocating to South Beach. Heavy winter surf hits this ocean facing beach, which may make it difficult for seals to arrive and depart. The surf combined with a steep berm also makes it difficult for seals to access wet sand they require to cool off. In addition, the rough waters are not ideal for weaned pups to practice swimming and diving before they depart for the open ocean on their first foraging trip.
Shark Attack!
The elephant seal is one of the largest carnivores on the planet, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t also be prey. In the waters surrounding Point Reyes roams the white shark. Park researchers have seen evidence of the sharks’ efforts to feed upon the elephant seals. A shark attack is not always a death sentence, especially for large seals. This past week researchers spotted three subadult males with fresh shark bites that are likely survivable. Another exciting sight was a tagged 16-year-old pregnant female seal on the beach below the elephant seal overlook. This female has a MASSIVE healed shark wound, it is incredible that she survived this injury, and even more amazing that she has been sighted 5 times since 2013 pregnant or with a pup! Keep an eye out for this gal from the overlook, she has: a green flipper tag, large scar on her back and left side, and white patch on top of her head.
News This Week
- Female elephant seal departures ramp up.
- Researchers observe an increase in mating activity.
- All of Drakes Beach is closed to the public. The parking lot at Ken Patrick Visitor Center will be open Fri-Mon 9:00 am-5:00 pm
- The Fish Dock and the beach at The Historic Lifeboat Station are closed.
Spotlight on Elephant Seal Overlook
One of the best places to view the action of the elephant seal breeding season is from the Elephant Seal Overlook accessible from the Chimney Rock parking lot. The colony formed in 1995 when a big storm pushed seals from the Point Reyes Headlands into Drakes Bay and a harem of 13 females arrived on the beach under the overlook, with 11 pups surviving to weaning. By 2010, over 300 females were observed at the overlook beach at the peak of breeding! Coastal erosion and storm surge can change the terrain of the beach from year to year. As the elephant seal population grows in the park, the seals have spread farther down Drakes Beach which reduces crowding under the overlook. This year, at the peak of pupping, 258 females were counted and, so far, our high count of pups is 227.
Pup Pods
Park visitors can now witness the occurrence of weaned pup pods in the park! When a pup is weaned it is usually pushed out of the harem by aggressive females still nursing their pups. These exiled pups will congregate with other weaned pups on the beach. Being a part of the group not only provides safety in numbers, but these pups will also take cues from each other when it comes to practicing their seal skills like swimming and diving. It typically takes weaned pups a couple of weeks before they start to venture into the water for their first paddle. However, researchers have observed that pups that wean later in the season enter the water sooner. It is believed that the swimming behavior of older pups encourages the late weaners to enter the water sooner. The best time to observe the pup’s swimming practice is in the early morning and evening!
News This Week
- The majority of breeding elephant seal females have left the park.
- Weaned pups have been observed swimming close to shore.
- All of Drakes Beach is closed to the public. The parking lot at Ken Patrick Visitor Center will be open Fri-Mon 9:00 am-5:00 pm
- The Fish Dock and the beach at the Historic Lifeboat Station are closed.
Spotlight on Drakes Beach
The expansive stretch of Drakes Beach from the Ken Patrick Visitor Center to just before the Elephant Seal Overlook Beach has seen a lot of change over the past several years. This beach was not initially a popular pupping site in the park, and for over 3 decades few pups were born on this beach. It wasn’t until 2016 that researchers began to see harems establish farther down Drakes Beach. The population has grown exponentially and now this beach has the highest numbers of all the sites in the park! This year our high count of females at the peak of breeding was 442. Drakes Beach is protected from heavy winter surf and has a lot of space for seals to spread out. However, seals that haul out under the cliffs of Drake Bay risk injury or even death from rock falls and landslides.
Tagging Time!
Park researchers have begun tagging efforts of weaned pups. The pups are tagged in the inter-digital webbing of their hind-flippers using commercial taggers manufactured for tagging sheep. Once a pup is tagged that individual can then be identified over time as a known age animal. While these tags may not last a lifetime, they can last for many years. Researchers have resighted tags on some “senior” seals just this year. One of the alpha males on the beach below the Elephant Seal Overlook still has the tag he received as a pup and is 13 years old!
News This Week
- Few nursing female elephant seals remain in the park.
- Tagging efforts of weaned up increase—over 300 pups tagged so far!
- All of Drakes Beach is closed to the public. The parking lot at Ken Patrick Visitor Center will be open Fri–Mon, 9 am–5 pm
- The Fish Dock and the beach at the Historic Lifeboat Station are closed.
Fuzzy Black to Smooth Silver
Elephant seal pups are born with a natal pelage, a fuzzy black coat of fur that keeps them warm while they build up their blubber layer. After about four weeks of nursing the seal pups are fattened up enough to do without the extra fur. Typically, pups will wean when they are still in their black coat and after several days on their own, they begin to molt. Researchers in the park are now starting to see fully molted weaned pups in a beautiful silvery gray coat.
Who’s the Boss?
Observant visitors and park staff have witnessed the incredible antics of a very impressive alpha male at the beach adjacent to the Historic Lifeboat Station. This bull is easily identifiable. Not only is he heavily scarred (some might say GNARLY), but he was also marked with an identification number early in the season. “D6” has put on quite a show defending his relatively small harem of females from peripheral males. Many a male seal was fooled into thinking the coast was clear for a mating attempt, only to have D6 come ferociously charging out of the water!
News This Week
- About 30 nursing female elephant seals remain in the park.
- Tagging efforts of weaned pups continues at accessible sites.
- All of Drakes Beach is closed to the public. The parking lot at Ken Patrick Visitor Center will be open Fri–Mon, 9 am–5 pm
- The Fish Dock and the beach at the Historic Lifeboat Station are closed.
Dis-entanglement Success
Marine mammals face many challenges from interactions with humans and the garbage humans produce. One major concern for seals is entanglement in trash or fishing gear. Entanglements can cause severe injury and death. Recently park staff spotted a nursing female seal with a plastic strap around her neck. Concerned that this could become life threatening, the park contacted The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC). TMMC sent out a team and with the assistance of park employees the plastic was successfully removed from the seal! A happy ending, but unfortunately a lot of animals who encounter marine debris are not so lucky.
Battle to the Death…of Naptime!
Weaned elephant seal pups spend A LOT of time snoozing on the beach, but the older they get the more active they become. The pups will spend more and more time in shallow water close to shore where they learn to swim, breath hold and dive. Another important activity is the social interaction between pups. Not only do pups follow the lead of other pups into the water, but they also play fight! These viciously adorable battles (most often practiced by male pups) are important lessons in preparing for the more serious altercations of adulthood.
Elephant Seal Seasonal Monitoring Updates Home
Elephant Seal Colonies and Beach Closures Map
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