This big guy is not afraid to bellow, but I feel almost shy about speaking out on my chosen topic for this morning. It's a little embarrassing to write about the Elephant Seals. It’s true we live in an incredible place, but at this point, being surrounded by beautiful beaches, gorgeous lakes and rolling green hills almost feels like a given. Of course, the state and national parks nearby are amazing, but they are part of a wider system that all US citizens can enjoy. Yes, we can surf and sail here, but these are challenging activities that a person has to really work at in order to enjoy. Even our amazing Monarch Butterfly groves seem somewhat acceptable. After all, they are so modest compared to the ones I’ve heard about in Mexico. But the Elephant Seals…they push our geographical good fortune over the top.
Here they are, lolling about at the Piedras Blancas Rookery, where we can stand just a few yards away and watch them to our hearts content.
Where else in the world does a 15 mile drive and a short stroll across a parking lot get you front row admission to the constantly unfolding drama inherent in a gathered community of large mammals?
And WHEN else? It's only been since 1990 that the first couple of dozen showed up here. Since then, the population has exploded. Current numbers are around 1700, with 4000 pups born in 2010! In the 1980’s and before, most Elephant Seal beach life took place on islands and other difficult to reach places. (Difficult for humans, I mean.) Even the earliest histories that we have access to regarding this area don’t make it clear if they used this beach previously. During the rampant hunting of the 1800’s, they stayed as far away from us as they could. And before that, naturalists think land predators like grizzly bears might have discouraged them from coming ashore.
So this is a special little window in time, during which we can see them and learn about them. It’s a special little window in their lives too, as elephant seal spend most of their live out in the open ocean. They look lazy when they are here, but in the water, they are incredibly active. Females swim far out into the ocean, searching for food. Males stick closer to shore, but go as far north as Alaska. They all return to this beach (or other rookeries) twice a year for mating, birthing, molting and rest. Luckily for us, the schedules for males, females, juveniles, babies and adults are all slightly different, so there is some kind of activity happening here almost any time of year.
Another wonderful thing about Piedras Blancas is the care that has been taken to make the viewing area accessible to us humans, while keeping it safe and comfortable for the seals. There is even a boardwalk that stretches the length of the beach, with frequent placards explaining all the interesting details about the colony and the species.
Docents frequently stroll by in blue jackets, ready to share their impressive knowledge and answer any question visitors might have. Between the docents and the signs, it's impossible to leave the beach without feeling a little bit like an expert yourself. And sometimes, your really need both sources of data...to keep from getting confused.
Like the time we went up in December of 2010 and one of the docents told us all about the challenges the new born pups face. First, there is the risk of getting squashed by your own papa. Maybe this sounds unlikely, but these guys are HUGE. They are not built for getting around gracefully on land, and they don't seem to care. If there's a baby seal between them and where the dominant male wants to go, it can be real bad news for the baby.
Then, there is the risky period after the mothers have left the beach and the babies are left there all alone. I try to keep from anthropomorphizing the situation too much, but really...it must be terrifying. After giving birth and then nursing for 28 days, the mamas are HUNGRY! So it's bye, bye baby. The pups are left all alone for another 8-10 weeks. During this time, they teach them selves to swim. Meanwhile, they are losing about a third of their body weight.
When they finally launch themselves out to sea they have about a 50% chance of surviving long enough to return to the beach next season. It sounds like a rough life, and it is. But SOME babies have special advantages. I don't know if it's the brave ones, the fast ones, or just the hungry ones, but every once in a while there is an infant who steals milk. In addition his own mothers milk, s/he sneaks it from neighboring moms, growing immensely fat in the process. The docent called them "Super Weiners," and we thought that was a pretty cute name. We didn't see any that day, but it was easy to imagine them looking like jumbo-plump hotdogs.
Then we came across this sign that explained "Weaner" is just what they call the pups who have been weaned.
I haven't heard or read anything to this effect, but it seems obvious to me that these wonder-pups are the ones that go on to become the Beach Masters who win the battles for dominance and are rewarded with their own harem of breeding females.
I guess I still have a lot to learn about the Elephant Seals. If you'd like to learn more about them too, come visit us and I'll take you to see them! Or, visit this excellent website:
http://www.elephantseal.org/
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