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.

Just How Do the Moms Protect Their Vulnerable Pups ?

Elephant seal moms are having a extraordinarily hard time this birthing season as the relentless high tides continue to pound the beaches of the central coast of California. ( An unconfirmed report said that as much as 50% of the earliest pups born this season were washed out to sea.)

When the waves come loudly roaring up onto what's left of the already overcrowded small pocket beaches on which some elephant moms have chosen to have their pups, the moms and pups sound the alarm by emitting frantic yelps and barks. With the incoming waves often wreaking chaos amongst the inhabitants of the elephant seal nurseries, frenzied elephant seal moms and pups try to stay together as tempers flare over vanishing safe space.

From what I've observed, the elephant seal moms protect their pups by using their bodies as a barrier by keeping themselves between the incoming water and their pups. They also constantly maneuver themselves and their pups to higher and safer ground, yapping at their pups to follow them. ( Maybe the pups are too heavy at 60-70+lbs to be picked up and moved by the scruff of their necks as a female dog or cat would do to their youngsters.)

The pups themselves also seem to have a natural survival instinct to search out higher ground, whether it be a mound of kelp, a rock, or just the higher beach by the bluff.

Then, there's the ever-protective BIG alpha male keeping a watchful eye on his brood not only trying to keep them safe from the elements but also keeping them unmolested from any hopeful male intruders.

For more photos, click here.