Elephant Seal

We took a guided walk out to see the elephant seals at Ano Nuevo State Park, about a half hour north of town. This is the season when the animals come in to give birth and to breed, so there is lots of activity out on the beaches where the harems congregate. We saw pups nursing, bulls fighting, and lots of jockeying for position, all with the most marvelous soundtrack of trumpeting, shrieking and howling. Kind of a cross between bad plumbing sounds,screeching monkeys and the background music of a noisy bird refuge. The group shots didn't come out very well, but this young male  found a solitary spot to wallow on a beautiful sunny day.