Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Trip 33
PIEDRAS BLANCAS
LENGTH AND TYPE: 0.8-mile out-and-back
RATING: Easy
TRAIL CONDITION: Well maintained, good for kids
HIGHLIGHTS: Thousands of elephant seals spar for dominance, mate and give birth, or merely bask in
the sun, flip sand on their backs, and snort at gaping tourists.
TO REACH THE TRAILHEAD:
The Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery is on the west
side of Highway 1, 7.7 miles north of San Simeon. The parking lot is at Vista Point.
There are no facilities or water at the trailhead.
TRIP SUMMARY:
This short, easy trail skirts a broad marine terrace to a small sandy
cove inhabited by thousands of noisy northern elephant seals.
BASKING & BARKING & BELCHING, OH MY!
The best time to view Piedras Blancas's elephant seals is December through March.
Arriving in early December, enormous bulls wage violent, often-bloody battles to
establish dominance. The successful bull becomes the alpha male and has the best
chance of mating. When females arrive in late December, this bull establishes and
guards his harem.
Days after the females arrive, they give birth and produce thick, rich milk that is
55% fat. Newborn pups suckle for a month, growing from about 70 pounds at birth up
to 300 pounds. Weaned pups are lovingly nicknamed “weaners.” By late March most
of the adult females have mated with either the alpha male or competing beta bulls.
Females soon return to the ocean alone, leaving weaners to fend for themselves
and learn how to swim and feed. They remain on the beach until the end of April,
wading in tide pools, snorting at tourists, molting their black baby fur, and growing
shiny new silver coats.
All elephant seals return to shore to molt in spring and summer. Females and ju-
veniles land in April and May, subadult males in May and June, and enormous males
in July and August. You'll recognize adult males by their enormous size (more than
twice the weight of adult females) and large proboscis (reminiscent of an elephant's
trunk).
