WHAT S HAPPENING SEPTEMBER - NOVEMBER: In the fall you will see elephant seals that are too young to take part in the winter breeding season hauling out to rest. They gather together in large groups lying very close to each other. As November approaches the older animals begin to arrive. Where are the breeding age males and females during the fall? They are at sea, eating as much as possible to prepare for the long time they will be on land, fasting, during the breeding season. Adult males spend eight months of the year at sea, foraging along the continental shelf, as far north as the Aleutian Islands. Females spend ten months of the year at sea, foraging in the open ocean of the eastern North Pacific. Foraging bouts are divided by two trips to land, once during the breeding season and again to molt. Males and females tend to feed in different areas and on different prey. The males are taking a greater risk in foraging in areas where they would be more likely to encounterr orcas (killer whales) but the ones who are successful are rewarded with rich food source. Males have to put on a lot of weight in a brief time. A frequently asked question is how fast do e-seals swim. Speed is deceiving because they dive as they go. They cover about sixty miles a day. It takes the males about forty days to get to the Aleutians.
WHAT'S HAPPENING DECEMBER - MARCH: The breeding season begins around the end of November/the first of December when the mature males start to arrive and fight to establish dominance. Pregnant females begin arriving around the middle of December and continue to arrive until early February. Usually within five days of coming ashore, the female gives birth to a single pup, three-four feet long, weighing between 60 and 80 pounds. Births may be either head-first or tail-first (flipper first). The first birth usually occurs before Christmas. Most births occur during the last two weeks of January. Gulls descend to feast on the protein-rich afterbirth, simultaneously announcing the births. Nursing for almost a month, the pups quadruple their weight on one of the richest milk in the mammal world. Weaning occurs about a month after birth with the mother's abrupt departure. Mating takes place during the three days before the female leaves. Weaned pups, referred to as "weaners," gather together in "weaner pods. Adult males are at the rookery up to three months during the breeding season without eating!
WHAT S HAPPENING MARCH AND APRIL: Weaner Pod March is a transition month. There are still breeding age animals on the beach but the weaners are stealing the show. As the end of the month approaches you may see juvenile seals and females returning to molt. At about 6 weeks of age the black birth hair is shed and their gray skin shows. As the new hair lengthens the normal tan on top and buff underneath gradually appears. Weaners teach themselves to swim. Every day they spend more time in the water. Around 3 1/2 months of age they take off on their first foraging trip. By the end of April most of the weaners have gone and the spring molt is in full swing. Swimming lessons One juvenile greeting another To distinguish a male from a female, look at the abdominal area. Both have navels and two teats. Males have a hole below the naval.
WHAT S HAPPENING SPRING AND SUMMER: They aren t sick! They are molting. We, human beings, lose our hair and skin a little bit at a time. We hardly notice that it is happening. In dramatic contrast the elephant seal goes through a catastrophic molt in which the entire outer layer of skin, or epidermis, is shed with the hairs attached. Molt comes off in pieces, some big and some small. The process takes about 3-4 weeks, during which time the seals are on land and fasting. Female and juvenile elephant seals molt in the spring. Some young sub adult males also molt in the spring. Most sub adult and adult males molt in the summer. Young seals may be seen hauling out to rest in the summer, looking very small next to the large males. Why do elephant seals have to come on land to molt? While they are at sea they are diving constantly in very cold water. As part of the dive reflex, blood is diverted away from their skin to minimize heat loss and conserve energy. In order to grow new skin and hair the blood has to be allowed to circulate to the skin without the animal becoming chilled. Sub adult males practice sparring.
WHAT S HAPPENING IN AUGUST: The fewest number of elephant seals are around in August. Adult males are at the rookery molting. August is a good time to look for other marine mammals, including harbor seals, California sea lions, and sea otters. Harbor seals like to rest on the rocks just offshore. They are spotted and sausage-shaped. They have short front flippers and lack external ear flaps. Harbor seals are shy and quiet. California sea lions may be seen hauling out on the far offshore rock that looks like a wedge or door stop. Sea lions are noisy and gregarious. They have long front flippers and tiny curled external ears. This is the seal that is trained and used in shows. Sea otters may be seen foraging in this area throughout the year. They spend most of their surface time on their backs and wrap up in kelp while sleeping so they don t drift away. Sea otters have small front appendages that look like cat s paws and large, webbed, rear appendages that look like flippers. Some people mistake bull kelp for sea otters. 5/2013