Adventures
Elephant Seal Migration and Breeding
Each November thousands of Bull Elephant Seals begin hauling out onto California beaches and start staking out territory they will defend in violent confrontations with other bulls in a effort to lure as many available females as they can into their harems. In Late December, equally large groups of pregnant Cows, and youngsters of both sexes, will begin arriving for the yearly calving cycle to begin. With in a short period after arriving on shore the cows will give birth in the areas that are protected by the bulls and nurse their youngsters with some of the riches mother’s milk in the world.
The calves will quadruple their size in six weeks drinking this extremely fattening nectar which will be needed very shortly as, at the end of that six week period, they will be on their own. As soon as the Cow has weaned her calf she will immediately become fertile, be bred by whichever bull she has chosen, and return to the sea for the next 11 months before the cycle repeats itself!
To observe thousands of Elephant Seals with in a few yards, Bulls the size of pickup trucks battling for turf and mates, Cows nurturing their newborns and the youngsters awkwardly attempting to carve out a place for themselves is a sight to behold and a photo opportunity many will never get!
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