Midst of Fall Haul-Out

With Fall Haul-Out about half-way over, the favored elephant seal beaches along the central coast of California are quite busy with a elephant seals of all ages from this year's pups through a few lingering large males.

The young males like to spend much of their time jousting both on land and in the water. One might even call this past-time frolicking, but this sparring is preparing the youngsters for their roles in the male hierarchy, prevalent amongst these pinnipeds. While many of the males seem to love eating seaweed at this juncture of the year, the young females tend to stay onshore and out of the way of the sparring males.

Click here to watch a cute video of young males enjoying their Fall Haul-Out time.

At this time of year, each visiting elephant seal spends about one month or so enjoying our beaches and our coastal shallows before heading back out to hunt once again.

All too soon though, more and more pregnant females will return as will the sub-adult males and adult males as the new birthing season approaches in December.

Click here to see pics of the current visitors.

Fall Haul Out Almost Over

As the middle of November is now but a memory, so will soon this year's Fall Haul Out be as the shore time for these elephant seals draws to a close.

Despite the fact that the end of November is in sight, quite a few youngsters can still be seen lazing around some of the beaches as well as some young males and a few pregnant females.

Click here for photos of some of the remaining vacationers.

But, as the birthing/mating season approaches once again, the large adult males will start returning to lay claim to a piece of what each one hopes is an ideal spot on the beach for yet another season. Returning too, will the very pregnant females as they beach-hop from one beach to another trying to determine which beach will best meet their needs for birthing and nursing and the inevitable mating.

Click here for video of young males doing their thing.

Fall Haul-Out Picking up Speed

As we enter the second week of September, more newcomers of varying ages are starting to haul ashore to enjoy their turn on our beaches.

Click here to see more photos of our current visitors.

This fall, a good many of these elephant seals also seem to be unusually generous in 'decorating' our shallows and sandy beaches with their own brand of often brightly-colored fertilizer.

Engaging in struggling with seaweed at this time of year is also a favorite past-time of many young males. Experts have often wondered if elephant seals actually swallow the seaweed/kelp that they toss around. From my observations, it would seem as though they do. The process is often a long and laborious one as the elephant seals have no means to hold the long strands as they strive to break off a bite-size piece. Instead, they have to shake/toss the seaweed till a small piece is broken off. Then the broken off piece has to be carefully maneuvered into just the right position in the mouth so it can slide down the throat without causing the elephant seal to choke on it. To successfully facilitate this rather difficult process, the elephant seal often drinks large amounts of seawater to help in the actual swallowing.

Why elephant seals choose to eat seaweed/kelp is not clear. Maybe they do so for the same reason dogs eat grass...to aid in digestion.

Click here to watch video of young males struggling to swallow some seaweed. ( Some of the video has been slowed down to better show the action. )

As we proceed further into the Fall Haul-Out, more and more elephant seals will come ashore to get some R&R before heading out once again to feed before the birthing/mating season that will start sometime in December.

Youngsters Starting to Come Ashore

Unlike last year, as August draws to a close, almost all of the big male elephant seals have already set off in search of food.

Click here for photos of some of these big males as they went about their daily business before leaving in search of food.

And click here to see adult male elephant seals in their underwater environment.

So far only a few of the next group of 'vacationers' have ventured ashore. These first early-bird arrivals of the Fall Haul-Out are some of this year's weaners and youngsters, born 2-3 years ago.

Click here to see photos of these early arrivals.

Although some of these young elephants seals of both sexes are relaxing and sleeping, some of the more energetic puppy-like young males are already getting into dominance bouts of playful wrestling.

Click here for video of young males play-wrestling.

A few of the more adventuresome young males, on the other hand, like to test themselves by engaging slightly older male members of the group in challenges. Instead of being really aggressive, these older young males, however, tend to usually act amused and take it easy on these upstart youngsters.

Click here to see video of youngsters challenging slightly older elephant seals in a narrow inlet.

In the coming weeks, as the Fall Haul-Out gets into full swing, more and more youngsters will come ashore to relax and wrestle, and along with them, will also come some pregnant adult females and sub-adult males. ( The Fall Haul-Out usually lasts from September into November. )

Heading into the Last Month of the Fall Haul-Out

In the last few days, along with the very poignant smell of sardines and/or other bait fish a large quantity of tan-colored young elephant seals have suddenly showed up and are adorning the sandy beaches of the Piedras Blancas colony. As these chubby, well-fed newcomers start their R and R, sleep seems to currently be at the top of the list of their priorities.

In the meantime, there are many days where action amongst the occupants of the pocket beaches has been fast and furious.


Click here to see more photos of action shots.

Sprinkled amongst these youngsters, a few pregnant females can be spotted trying to relax, as the roars of engangement from a few early sub-adult males can be heard resounding across the coastal waters.


Click here to see young male elephant seals inside the waves or just at the surface.

As we head into November, the last month of the Fall Haul-Out, more and more sub-adult males will be showing up supposedly to rest but more likely to engage in rollicking dominance encounters.


Click here to see close-ups of young males in feisty enounters.

Click here to see video of not often seen male elephant seal behavior.

High Tides with Big Wave Action

Recent extremely high fall tides along with huge swells have created much wave action agitating this year's younger elephant seal participants of the Fall Haul-Out on the smaller pocket beaches on the central coast of California.

Click here to see elephant seals in sudsy white sea-foam.

High surf has caused the deafening waves to come crashing ashore temporarily occupying the small pocket beaches where some of the elephant seals have been trying to get some R&R. With their much-prized sleep interrupted, the boisterous younger male elephant seals have been forced back into the unforgiving chilly rough waters of the Pacific.

Click here to see photos of elephant seals in the rough waves.

As a result, much of the inevitable sparring and other communication amongst the younger male elephant seals has been taking place in these choppy waters as the elephant seals ride the rollicking waves.

Current occupiers of the beaches along the central coast of California include young males from this year's weaners up to young sub-adults as well as females of assorted ages, with even some pregnant slightly older ones trying to rest up prior to the upcoming birthing season.

Click here to see video of these elephant seals in the waves.

To see even more action photos, click here.

Continuing Fall Haul-Out

As the Fall Haul-Out continues, seaweed seems to be a huge favorite amongst the seafaring youngsters. Time and again, one can see young elephant seals twirling, shaking, and swallowing colorful pieces of different kinds of seaweed. To what end, you might ask ? Maybe the energetic youngsters are consuming their nutritional veggies ?

Energetic young males on high alert in the shallow bay waters, often keep pace with people walking along the bluffs....probably trying to determine if these people are a threat/challenge to them. Once they decide that these curious land-mammals are not intent on engaging them, the youngsters return to their own boisterous activities.

A few more mature young females can now also be spotted catching some R&R amongst the pale tan-colored younger elephant seals on the beaches.

Soon the eager-to-engage-in-dominance-fights older young males will also be showing up for their turn at the Fall Haul-Out at Elephant Seal Land on the central coast of California.

Click here for more photos.

The Start of the Fall Haul-Out

As almost all the big adult male elephant seals have left to fortify their strength and body weight in preparation for the up-coming December territorial fights, the beaches along the central coast of California are currently occupied by only a few dozen mainly tan-furred youngsters doing their thing.

As September heads towards October in this Fall Haul-Out season, however, more and more elephant seals in the younger age brackets will be looking to enjoy spending some quality shore-time on these usually noisy and busy beaches.

Adding to the mix of weaners and yearlings as we go through October, energy-filled ‘teenage’ males will be charging ashore delighting onlookers with their rock-’n’-roll style fights. In addition, alongside these combative youngsters, a few pregnant young females will also be trying to get some shore-rest on the ‘quiet side of town’ away from the boisterous young males.


Click here see video of a young elephant seal wrestling seaweed.

Click here to see more photos.

Fall Haul-Out Continues

As the Fall Haul-Out for 2010 continues, different elephant seals keep coming ashore for some R&R while those that have already spent close to a month on land leave in search of food.

After the young male elephant seals have recovered from their trip to the central coast beaches of California, they start their fights for dominance.

However, the female elephant seals of all ages that come ashore at this time of year do so to get some rest trying to keep their distance from the young and actively aggressive young males.

Expectant onlookers can almost always be assured of being witness to the varying shows of aggression provided by the young male elephant seals in their almost continual fights for dominance both on land and in the water.

All too soon, however, these younger elephant seals will be off to sea again looking for more food. Then, in about six weeks, the big male elephant seals will start to come ashore and the battles for temporary territory will begin.

For more photos, click here.

Time for the Yearlings

With only a couple of large male elephant seals still on the beach, the emphasis now is on this year's weaners and two- and three-year olds as they hustle ashore to begin their Fall Haul-Out rituals.

Like the older elephant seals, they joust, albeit with less ferocity, disturb each other for a variety of reasons, sleep, and swim in the shallows.

When the older elephant seals come shore, they usually spend quite a bit of time in deep sleep. The younger ones, however, seem to be more filled with vim and vigor !

To see more photos, click here.

To visit my elephant seal website, click here.

To see elephant seal fight videos on YouTube, click here.