elephant seals
Hearst San Simeon State Park There are getting to be lots of places to see elephant seals on the beaches in the right season, but many are closed except to pass through with a surf board. The official viewing site is atop a short bluff with a fence to keep the people rounded up. It allows surprisingly close up views all the same. We stopped on the way up the road to see them. They have thinned out from the peak, but there are still many females and juveniles relaxing under the sun. A small bay full of elephant seals beside highway 1. Lots of happy faces. They can still be fairly thick on the beach. The females do not have quite the same schnoz as the males.