Saying goodbye to the incredible rocky coastline of Highway 1, we set our sights on our next destination. Our sense of anticipation grew as we neared, and soon we were turning into the parking lot of the elephant seal rookery at Point Piedras Blancas.
On our journey down California’s Highway 1, we’d seen plenty of reasons why the drive is considered iconic. From incredible coastal views to towering redwoods, we’d experienced an amazing day of driving. But this was late October, which is called the juvenile haul-out and is one of the times the elephant seal rookery population at Piedras Blancas peaks. As it turned out, a lot of other people had the same idea.
What happens at the elephant seal rookery
In addition to the juvenile haul-out in October, the elephant seal population at the rookery also peaks in January (when most births take place) and again in May when the females and juveniles undergo what is called a catastrophic molt and lose their fur and outer layer of skin. This natural process requires the seals to stay out of the water so they can stay warm until the molting process is complete.
We were fortunate to be at the rookery during a heat wave that brought us clear skies and great visibility. We saw everything from seals napping to play fighting to what were probably a couple of actual tiffs. Like all of our other stops down the coast, there was so much to see that we could have spent the day watching the seals do their thing. In the photo below, you’ll see how the seals like to cover themselves with sand to help protect their skin.
Did you see last week’s entry? You can find it at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Click here to view more Friday Morning Post entries, or you can follow me on Twitter.
