How do you get elephant seals on Año Nuevo?
Año Nuevo State Park offers docent-guided walks between December 15 and March 31, which feature the elephant seals in their natural habitat. To view the elephant seals during this season, you must be on a guided walk. Elephant seal viewing requires a 3-4 mile moderate hike over varied terrain, including sand dunes.
How many elephant seals are at Año Nuevo?
200,000 northern elephant seals
Since that time, elephant seals have continued to multiply exponentially, and they have extended their breeding range as far north as Point Reyes. Today, there are approximately 200,000 northern elephant seals. The first elephant seals on Año Nuevo Island were sighted in 1955, and the first pup was born there in 1961.
What time are elephant seals most active?
The peak months for viewing elephant seals are from October through March, when their population on San Simeon’s shores can reach 17,000. So if you’ve planned a trip to Hearst Castle or San Luis Obispo in the fall, winter or early spring, consider dropping by San Simeon to watch the elephant seals in action.
What time do seals come out?
When it’s hot during summer months, they’ll typically leave the beach by 8 a.m. (also because that’s when the humans start to arrive). They usually return when the sand cools down in the late afternoon and around sunset.
How close can you get to an elephant seal?
If a seal becomes alert or nervous and begins to move away, you are too close. Stay at least 25 feet (~8 meters) from elephant seals. Do not come between a cow and pup, a bull and a group of cows, or two bulls challenging each other. Watch quietly; whisper.
How long can elephant seals hold their breath?
two hours
Male elephant seals can hold their breath for longer than almost any other mammal, diving beneath the waves for up to two hours without surfacing for air. Elephant seals live for just two months of the year on land.