Piedras Blancas in California has a thriving rookery of Northern Elephant Seals, a sub-species of the largest seals in the world reaching up to 5000 pounds and 16 feet in length. Pups are born here mostly in the month of January.
Births peak mid January.
Over 5000 births occur annually here. Some nice mamas like this one, feed pups other than their own!
Elephant seals nurse for about a month, during this time, mothers stay with pups continuously and do not return to to the sea to feed until weaning is complete.
Elephant Seal milk is the richest milk in the mammalian world, which it needs to be since elephant seals grow so rapidly. This cheeky seagull pecked this little pup causing him to unlatch during nursing, releasing milk, which the seagull tried to drink!
Mama obviously did not approve!
There are still newborns in the rookery now, identifiable by their neonatal folds.
Maternal infant bonds are evident and strong! Mamas can be seen frequently kissing pups.
Northern Elephant Seal populations were hunted to the brink of extinction and by the late 1800’s there were under 100 of them left worldwide. The species has made a remarkable come-back due to conservation efforts and marine mammal protections.
Cheers to you from the friendly ellie-pups at Piedras Blancas Rookery~
To see how big these little guys will grow check out my post from a year ago about the bulls:
https://cindyknoke.com/tag/northern-bull-elephant-seal-mating-behavior/
Adorable photos and mammals. Thanks Cindy, and I’m enjoying the educational aspect lately too. 🙂
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Thanks Brad & I will lighten up on the edu soon I promise!
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I like the education flavor and would love it to continue. 🙂
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You are very kind Brad~
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Just adorable – nothing better than pictures of a mom and her babies even though they are seals 🙂
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Yes, the maternal bond is a beautiful thing to see in every species~
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Great shots, Cindy. These are cute babies, but it looks like they are noisy! I’m so glad their numbers have recovered.
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They wander around, get lost, and then cry. The rookery is crowded and the adults so massive, they really can get lost. Some mamas bite the lost little ones, and others nurse them. Seems kinda like differential personality distribution in humans!
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I loved your narrative, Cindy. What a sweet set of photos. I first saw elephant seals at Ano Nuevo here in Northern California. We were allowed to get about twenty feet away, which, given the size of the bulls was plenty close. I’m so happy they’ve come back from the brink.
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I have heard a lot about Ano Neuvo and will visit someday. I am so glad there are established colonies in both places and I hope protections stay in place so they do not become extinct! In San Simeon the seals spread far past the rookery, with beaches full of adolescents, males and female adults. One must be careful not to get too close because you can walk along the road side and there is a massive male around the corner!
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Superb images.
You were definitely blessed on this day to capture so many seal pups and share such an intimate view of Mother and Pup.
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Thank you Vicki! In a few weeks the pups will be alone on the beach as all the adults leave. I think I will come back next year at this time of year to see the pups solo!
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Great idea 🙂
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Good, good, good and good
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Ahhh, so kind and so motivating. Thank you~
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Really wonderful!
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Merci beaucoup mon ami!
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🙄
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Sealed with awesomeness, my friend!ヾ( ̄(∵エ∵) ̄)
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ᶘ ᵒᴥᵒᶅ
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Dear Cindy, you are just the best, and so are you images, these guys are so precious … just love them. share sweetie I know all of wordpressers will love this like I do
huggs
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Reblogged this on Above The Crowd Shopping, Sherri Of Palm Springs and commented:
This is an Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwh..love these guys
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You are a kind and thoughtful soul Sherri and I feel blessed to know you! Be well my friend and thank you sincerely~ ᶘ ᵒᴥᵒᶅ ❤
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Wow! These seals are huge and the pups – super cute. I like the seagull photos. Funny. Don’t mess with a Mama! Thank you for introducing me to these precious seals. I am thankful they are making a comeback.I just googled them Southern elephant seals are even bigger. Holy moly! I am guessing the Northern seal is still endangered. Fantastic photos. 💚
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Actually the northern elephant seal is no longer endangered which is an amazing conservation success story considering there were much less then 100 left alive in the entire world, but like all species, they are dependent upon the goodwill of humans in order to remain alive. And yes, those southern elephant seals are very big boys! I saw them in the southern ocean. Incredible creatures. You did some good research here Nancy. I am impressed, and the elephant seals, and I, thank you.
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Nothing like up close and personal. Strangely enough, the thing I remember the one time I got that close to a rookery was – seal breath! Not for the faint of heart.
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I didn’t smell this. They don’t eat while in the rookery, so I assumed this was why there was no odor. I have been there a couple of times and never smelled anything, but I did hear the bellowing bulls, and crying calves. Interested that you noticed odor and wonder why I didn’t?
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Maybe the beach we were at was just a regular haul out. They smelled of fish breath.
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Oh Cindy, they look so adorable! I’m amazed, they are huge (well, the name says it all, doesn’t it) and quite different to the grey seals with their white pups on our coast …
Hooray for conservation efforts and marine mammal protections! And hooray for your fabulous post! 🙂
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And double hooray for bloggers like you who look at my posts and write such nice comments! Be well my friend~
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OM, you made my day now!! Hurra! 🙂 ❤ ❤ 🙂
Hugs across the pond from much to warm Norway. x
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Counting the months till I will be in Svalbard, heading northier! ❤ 😉
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So cute ❤
Alison
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❤
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Thank you Alison~
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Beautiful photos
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Merci beaucoup~
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Great stuff. 🙂
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Merci beaucoup mon ami~
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Lovely photos, Cindy!
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So pleased you enjoyed & cheers to you!
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What sweet photos! I am awe of these animals. The mama kissing the pup is precious.
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So pleased you like them. When you consider there were less than 100 left in the world, we are very fortunate to be able to look at them!
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Indeed.
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I laugh remembering what a devoted mom I was because I hardly ate warm let alone hot food when my son was young. To think of going without food for a month. Now that is maternal love and dedication. Loved all the photos but especially the first one. He looks like he needs his nose kissed.
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He does, they all do and I know exactly what you mean about maternal love. Strongest force in the animal world~ ❤
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So true but I feel I might be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to I believe it is the emperor penguin dads — they are some seriously devoted fathers. 😀
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Love these photos!
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Merci beaucoup Lyn!
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Oh my favorite! I miss these guys. We visited Piedras Blancas often. If the weather cooperates I hope to see them at Ano Nuevo at the end of February.
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I can’t wait to see your photos!
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Your photos have captured my heart. Thanks for sharing the love Cindy 💕
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You are a lovely friend Val~ ❤
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❤❤
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These little ones have Shar Pei wrinkles! ❤
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Laughing!! They do! ( •̀ ω•́ )
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So many babies!! What an interesting animal– Is Piedras Blancas a beach near Cambria? We saw elephant seals there once, but I don’t remember the name the beach. Your photography is amazing Cindy. thanks blog-friend!!
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Yes, it is next to Cambria and is where you saw the ellies! They now stretch for a long way along the coast starting at Piedras Blancas. Thank you Rhonda for such thoughtful comments!
( •̀ ω•́ )
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I can’t believe I missed this gorgeous post!
Well, now I found it & the seal pups are adorable. I’m very heart sick and humiliated that our last Prime Minister reinstated the Pup Seal hunt in Labrador. I hope this changes.
In the meantime, Gulls will be Gulls! I laughed at the one in your post trying to get some milk. I thought I’d seen every sneaky Gull trick in the book. Hahha! My fave is when they pretend to be ducks.
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Gulls stole silver napkin rings for years off the outdoor tables of a posh hotel restaurant where I grew up. No one knew what they did with them. Years later they were restoring the hotel’s bell tower and found a pile of years worth of stolen silver napkin rings!
When my son was three we were at the beach for Easter. He was given a little mechanical yellow duck. A gull swooped down and stole it from him. He looked at the gull closely and told me, “Don’t worry. He will bring it back.”
I tried to let him down gently, telling him the gull would not do that, but he was unconvinced.
Hours later as we were packing up to leave the gull swooped back down and dropped the duck in the sand. Matt retrieved it and the mechanical motor was neatly pecked out of the duck. He looked at me and said, “You didn’t believe me. I told you he would bring it back.”
Since that day I have had a great respect for gulls, and the mystery of human/ wild animal relationships.
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Well said, well understood and well respected.
Yours is a great a story. It is to learn from.
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❤ ❤
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Your posts are always fascinating and informative, Cindy. I don’t always have time to read the many interesting comments you elicit (and am frequently remiss in adding to them) – but I love following you. Your photos are amazing, btw. (overused word, but apt in this case).
“Awwww” inspiring: mama kidding baby seal. HOW can man justify hunting these creatures?
xx,
mgh
(Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMORE dot com)
ADD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder
“It takes a village to educate a world!”
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I don’t know how we justify lots of the destructive and harmful things we have done and continue to do. Thank you for your kindness Madelyn. It is sincerely appreciated~
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You are most welcome, Cindy – kindness is a core value of mine. If I had a magic wand it would be everybody else’s too – and our world would change overnight.
Even people with EDD (empathy deficiency disorder – lol) can be kind.
xx,
mgh
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❤ ❤
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Wonderful post, Cindy. I love the details you share…like the seagull trying to feed on the milk and the folds of skin on the neonates. Where to next? I’m enjoying your adventures!
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Well, next you and I are going (you’re coming with me right?) to Eastern Europe, Greece, Alsace and Germany for six weeks. We have an apartment in Alsace for two weeks where I plan to eat, cook and not gain weight. I haven’t figured out precisely how I am going to do this yet!
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Encantadoras las foquitas con esa expresión entre triste y mimosa. Abrazos, amiga ❤
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Muchas gracias mi amable amiga y abrazos! ❤
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What joyous photos. Thanks so much for sharing them, Cindy. Hugs!
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Thank you more Teagan for your very kind appreciation & cheers to you~
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I hope people someday don’t feel the need you’ll any wild animals when fish, other animals can be multiplied in captivity. I still eat farm grown chicken, pork and beef. I also agree people can not eat animal meat, if you want to keep and protect all animals.
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I agree with you Robin & thank you too my friend~ ( ・ὢ・ )
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Reblogged this on penpowersong.
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Thank you sincerely for supporting the vulnerable elephant seal populations! Cheers to you and Happy Sunday~ ❤
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Those pups are just so cute — their wrinkles and whiskers and big eyes. The scavenging seagull’s behaviour doesn’t surprise me. They’re good at edging towards something and going for the grab, and of course, they love pecking the top of milk bottles, so why not get in on the action when it’s on “seal tap”? In my town, seagulls snatch sandwiches out of people’s hands.
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Gulls stole silver napkin rings for years off the outdoor tables of a posh hotel restaurant where I grew up. No one knew what they did with them. Years later they were restoring the hotel’s bell tower and found a pile of years worth of stolen silver napkin rings!
When my son was three we were at the beach for Easter. He was given a little mechanical yellow duck. A gull swooped down and stole it from him. He looked at the gull closely and told me, “Don’t worry. He will bring it back.”
I tried to let him down gently, telling him the gull would not do that, but he was unconvinced.
Hours later as we were packing up to leave the gull swooped back down and dropped the duck in the sand. Matt retrieved it and the mechanical motor was neatly pecked out of the duck. He looked at me and said, “You didn’t believe me. I told you he would bring it back.”
Since that day I have had a great respect for gulls, and the mystery of human/ wild animal relationships.
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Oh, Cindy, those are two such wonderful stories. I guess that seagull was just checking the mechanical yellow duck to see if there was any food inside, although it was odd that your son knew it would return the toy to him. Where those silver napkins in a state worthy of restoration, or had the gulls pecked them too badly and the silver tarnished beyond recovery?
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I love it that you resonate with these true seagull tales Sarah! Thank you. The world is full of fabulous mystery isn’t it. I have no idea if the napkins rings were polishable and I do think you are right about the motor. Seagulls are really smart. He may have wanted to figure out what the motor was all about. Why he brought it back and how Matthew knew this stands as one of those amazing mysteries that children and wild creatures can bring us. ❤
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Pingback: Ellie Seal Pups~ – Dinata Misovec
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Oh my! What wonderful captures of these adorable creatures.
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Very pleased you enjoyed them & cheers to you!
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Thank you Cindy. 🙂
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❤ ❤
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Great photos, great blog.
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Jesteś bardzo miły!
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Thank you for the like Cindy. 🙂
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❤
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They look quite tender and majestic. And bodies quite expressive… thank you, Cindy. : )
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Thank you for your sensitive perception & cheers to you~
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Such awesome photos you take Cindy!!
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Aww, you are very kind! Thank you~ ❤
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