The Elephant Seal Walk
Ano Nuevo
State Reserve
"Elephant seals are unpredictable--and faster
than you might think, to look at them. Even on land, they are extremely mobile
for short distances. The head can be extended 2 or 3 feet for a quick bite.
Large canine teeth can inflict severe wounds. Battles for dominance between
bulls are among the bloodiest of any species, and they can crush a person with
their 2- to 3-ton weight." (from the Ano Nuevo State Reserve brochure)
Directions: Highway 92 to Half Moon Bay. South on
Highway 1 for about 30 miles to the park entrance on your right. Or 19 miles
north of Santa Cruz on Highway 1.
Grade: Easy.
Distance: Three miles.
Time: 2.5 hours on guided walk.
Special Conditions: To visit Ano Nuevo from Dec. 15 to
March 31 (the elephant seal breeding season), you must be on a guided walk led
by a trained volunteer naturalist. Tickets for the walks may be purchased in
advance by calling 1-800-444-4445 between 8 a.m and 5 p.m. San Mateo County
Transit offers Saturday and Sunday (plus two Mondays) guided walk packages from
Jan. 17 through Feb. 29. Buses leave Hillsdale Shopping Centerat 9 a.m. and 10
a.m. The $12 fee includes a round trip bus fare, admission, and a guided walk.
For reservations, call SamTrans at (650) 508-6441 or go to their Web site at
www.samtrans.com. Between April and November you may walk through the reserve
without ranger escort by obtaining a hiking permit from the ranger station. Day
use fees apply. No dogs or bicycles on the trails. No problem with poison oak
if you stay on the trail. For more information, call the park office at (650)
879-0227 for tour and fee information or access the Web site at
www.anonuevo.org.
They belch and they snort—make war and make love—all at the same time. They are the largest of the pinnipeds (animals with fin-like feet or flippers), mighty cousins of the much smaller harbor seals. And from now untiul the end of February, more than 3,000 of the fearsome Northern elephant seals will take up residence at Ano Nuevo State Reserve.
If you visit this breeding ground, you will see hundreds of them lounging in the warm sand. Many of the females will have small pups dressed in their newborn coats of black fur lying next to them. The "also-ran" males are somewhat distant from the harem on their own, looking the part of rejected suitors. Some have been barred from the female group by larger males, and some are still too young to compete. In the shallow water, large males engage in violent battles to establish dominance. After a time of sparring, they fall to the surf and crawl to different parts of the shore. Over on the far side of the harem, dozens of gulls flock around a newborn pup as they feed on the afterbirth. Closer by, a female contracts violently, a probable sign of an impending birth. In the distance, framed against the late afternoon sun is the outline of buildings on Ano Nuevo Island once used by the Coast Guard to man a five-story light tower. An automated buoy replaced the station in 1948, and now the buildings are a playground for sea lions, seals, and birds.
For good reason, much of the reserve is off-limits this time of the year. You can see the elephant seals only on one of the regularly scheduled guided walks. An ideal, trouble-free way to see the elephant seals is to take SamTrans, which, in partnership with the Ano Nuevo State Reserve, offers a special package. The $12 fee includes round-trip bus transportation, admission, and a guided walk. The total trip takes about six and one-half hours. Weekend trips leave the Hillsdale Shopping Center on weekends from Jan. 17 through Feb. 29 at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Holiday Monday trips will be offered on Jan. 19 and Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. only. Visitors planning to arrive in personal vehicles cannot use these tickets. Call (650) 508-6441 for tickets and information.
The 2.5-ton, 16-foot bull with sharp teeth keeping a keen eye on his harem is one very good reason for restricted access. Our naturalist guide took us within 40 feet or so of several of the slumbering bulls and pointed out their massive pendulous snouts; the thick, scarred skin on their chests, the flippers that propel them forward on land and down to the depths of the ocean; and the tags placed and carefully monitored by naturalists who monitor their return to the marine preserve over the years. It's also "hands off" for the mothers and pups, the former nursing and transferring strength to their offspring. By mid-March, this cycle is over, with most of the adults gone and the pups learning to fend for themselves before taking to the sea for the journey north to feeding grounds off the coast of northern Washington and Vancouver Island.
After the initial visit to Ano Nuevo, your next visit may be during the off-season. You will want to study the tide pools near the tip of the peninsula that have an abundance of sea life--urchins, starfish, anemones, tube worms, and other creatures that live in tidal waters. More than 300 species of invertebrates have been recorded at Ano Nuevo. Watch for harbor seals lounging on the rocks offshore, look for rare and endangered San Francisco garter snakes, and view the brown pelicans moving north from Mexico, and the many varieties of shorebirds.
Before your walk, or certainly after, stop by the old barn and visit the visitors' center and the well-equipped bookstore. Take 10 minutes to view the slide presentation. A ranger and naturalist volunteers are available to answer your questions. This wild life spectacle changes with fascinating predictability each season of the year. Plan to visit this area often.