Last updated: January 21, 2026
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Weekly Elephant Seal Monitoring Update: January 16, 2026
News This Week
- Elephant seals continue to arrive at Drakes Beach in front of the Ken Patrick Visitor Center! As of 1/16, there are 51 cows and 32 pups. Look out for the dye-marked bulls: V4, V5, and V6.
- Biologists have observed a higher number of seals with shark bite wounds this season.
- Elephant seal counts continue to increase across all sites. As of 1/15, we counted 1,288 total seals. We expect the peak count of the season to occur around the last week of January.
NPS / PRNSA / Aiko Goldston - NMFS Permit No. 27424
NPS / PRNSA / Aiko Goldston - NMFS Permit No. 27424
NPS / PRNSA / Aiko Goldston - NMFS Permit No. 27424
NPS / PRNSA / Aiko Goldston - NMFS Permit No. 27424
NPS / Sarah Allen - NMFS Permit No. 27424
NPS / Jessica Weinberg McClosky - NMFS Permit No. 27424
Elephant seal abundance in 2023
The National Marine Fisheries Service conducted aerial photographic surveys of northern elephant seals throughout California in 2023. They collected imagery in January, during the peak of the elephant seal birthing season. They've done similar surveys since 1990 to monitor abundance, distribution, and trends. With correction factors applied (e.g., to account for not all females arriving and giving birth at the same time), they estimated:
- Adult females: 45,536
- Births: 44,397
- Total 2023 northern elephant seal population: 194,903
The previous total population estimate in 2013 was 187,387 individuals. In 10 years, the population increased four percent, with an average annual growth rate of 0.39 percent.
81% of seals counted were observed on the Channel Islands!
NPS / PRNSA / Aiko Goldston - NMFS Permit No. 27424
Flipper tags
Small plastic tags are applied to the interdigital webbing of the rear flippers of weaned elephant seal pups. Each tag has a unique alphanumeric code and a color specific to each site. These flipper tags allow biologists at different sites to keep track of the elephant seals’ movement and gain more insight on pup mortality, life expectancy, site fidelity, and reproductive success.
Tag colors are site specific:
- Pink – Point Reyes and Farallon Islands
- Green – Año Nuevo
- White – San Simeon/ Piedras Blancas
- Blue – King Range in the Lost Coast area, Vandenberg Space Force Base, and Mexico
Below are some recent tags observed in the Seashore:
NPS / PRNSA / Aiko Goldston - NMFS Permit No. 27424
Preliminary Data
Total Elephant Seal Counts, Winter 2025-2026
Female Elephant Seal Counts, Winter 2025-2026
Elephant Seal Pup Counts, Winter 2025-2026
Weekly Updates Recap
News this week
- Due to storms, biologists did not observe the first pup of the season for the Seashore overall. The first pup at the Ken Patrick Visitor Center (KPVC) was spotted on 12/28/25.
- Early January storms and king tides pushed many elephant seals to the beach in front of KPVC and Gus’ Cove at Chimney Rock.
- This week, a yearling with a fresh shark bite on it’s face showed up at KPVC. Biologists have observed several other seals in the Seashore with fresh shark bites.
What seal am I seeing?
Male elephant seals are distinctive with their proboscis. However, without a proboscis, it can be difficult to distinguish between the female and younger seals. Here is a description:
- Cows arriving between December and February are pregnant. Look for a slender snout and rotund midsection. Pregnant cows associate with Bulls and other pregnant cows. Pelt colors vary from pale to dark.
- Yearlings are the smallest seal aside from pups and weanlings. They often have patchy, pale, tan pelts. They are often seen on the periphery of a harem. They are on the beaches in small numbers during this time.
- Immature seals (both male and female) are longer in length than a yearling and can look like a cow, without the roundness of pregnancy. There aren’t many on the beaches during the breeding season. They are often seen on the periphery or by themselves.
Dye marking
Biologists are applying dye marks to alpha male elephant seals in the Seashore. Black hair dye is used for the dye and comes off with the pelt when the elephant seals molt later in the year. Dye marking helps to keep track of the alpha males' movements throughout the season. While some may stay with one harem for most of the season, others move to different harems. Look out for these dye marked bulls!| Site | Prefix | Dye marked seals |
|---|---|---|
| Ken Patrick Visitor Center | V | V1, V2, V3, V4, V5 |
| Drakes Beach | D | D1, D2, D3, D4 |
| Elephant Seal Overlook | D | D5, D6 |
| Fish Dock | F | None yet. |
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