Show Notes

Album Art

Segment: Elephant Seal Video

Some background Info on this video:

Wildlife Preserve: Less than 100 miles from more than 4 million people, the Año Nuevo State Reserve is a surprisingly quiet spot with some of the best wildlife viewing in the world. Located about 20 miles north of Santa Cruz along the Pacific Coast Highway 1, it draws people from all over the world and is a haven for not just your standard California raptors and ocean critters. It is also one of the few breeding spots of the Northern Elephant Seal.

Hauling Out

In late November and early December, the male elephant seals haul out onto the beaches. They begin to establish their turf - fighting for dominance and the right to mate with the females, who arrive at the turn of the year.

Vocalizing

Males vocalize by shoving their long noses down their throats and making the coolest sound ever. It's sortof like blowing through a long metal pipe. You can sometimes hear these low sounds from miles away.

Harems

A male that wins against all takers is called an Alpha male, or beachmaster. He sets up his harem, and as the females arrive, he courts them, and if he's lucky, they will join his harem for protection.

Within 5 days of arriving, the female will birth a single pup. She nurses this pup for 28 days, at the end of which she mates with the alpha male and then heads back into the sea.

Sleeping

On land, elephant seals spend a lot of time sleeping. Movement on land is tiring, especially when one is awaked to have their harem challenged.

Mating & Pups
The pups are about 70lbs when they are born, but by the time they're a month old, they can be as much as 300lbs. Mating is a frantic activity, and the pops have to make sure to stay out of the alpha male's way. Sometimes pups get smushed when the big males battle over territory.

A Conservation Success Story
Early in the last century, there were less than 100 Northern Elephant Seals left in the world. They were hunted for their blubber. Some historians say ithe population was closer to 20 animals. But with conservational efforts like the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Northern Elephant Seal populations have bounced back to over 150,000.

Learn More
I am currently working on a significant photography project with the Northern Elephant Seals. For now, you can check out some of my other blog postings and such on this topic here:

Photos: Año Nuevo State Reserve - Male Elephant Seals
Photos: Año Nuevo State Reserve - Baby Elephant Seals
Año Nuevo: A Wildlife Preserve
Warming Weather Woes: Seal Pup Drownings
Strandings & Distressed Marine Mammals in Santa Cruz County
Isolated Ecosystems: The Farallons Are California’s Galapagos

If you have any problems with this video, please email me at the address listed below in the housekeeping section.

Housekeeping Stuffage

Sorry that I wasn't able to narrate this video, but I was having trouble with free video editing software and mixing the elephant seal sounds in with my voice and music. You can tell I wasn't using a tripod, but I still thought it was some little glimpses into what I've been working on. Hope you enjoyed!

Email Comments & Questions: led AT perlgurl DOT org