It's elephant seal mating and birthing season and people from all over are coming to the Central Coast to watch these large marine animals gather near San Simeon.
Elephant seals can weigh up to 5,000 pounds, and their size is one of the first things many people notice.
"We have some really large adult males, we have pregnant and nursing females, and a lot of newborn pups as well that we’ll continue to see within the next few weeks," said Monica Rutherford, California State Parks interpreter.
Rutherford says thousands of pups will be born in California each year.
Friends of the Elephant Seal member Christine Heinrichs said the first pup was born just a few weeks ago.
“Already looks so fat compared to the ones that are born just a day before. They’re about 70 to 90 pounds to start out, about three feet long,” Heinrichs said.
Yvonne Camacho, Reggie Camacho and Matteo Hernandez were passing through San Simeon on their way to San Francisco and decided to stop by to see the seals.
“They do like some snoring noise,” Camacho said. "We have some beaches in L.A., but we don’t see this over there.”
Arjun Hans and Hershika Jain were also heading to the Bay Area when they stopped to check out the marine mammals.
“They had such an interesting face. I’ve never seen that before. I now understand why they call it elephant seal because they have a snout like an elephant," Jain said. "I think it’s only the males.”
“You get to see them from so close, like in a way that is safe both for us and for the elephant seals, and it’s really cool just seeing how like the mating process works,” Hans said.
If you’re planning to visit the elephant seals, Rutherford has some advice.
“Here, where the boardwalk is, is the best place to view them safely and respectfully," she said. "You get great vantage points from up here on the boardwalk.”
Sometimes bachelor seals will make their way to the nearby William Hearst Memorial Beach because they’ve been kicked out by more dominant males.
“If you do visit that beach and you see some seals there, just keep your distance. They are there to rest and recover," Rutherford said.
The elephant seal mating season is from now until March.
