Elephant Seals are obviously not the only species with this problem!
This sub-adult male seems a bit sheepish about his not yet mature mating attempts.
He looks at me almost as if he’s apologetic!
He’s just practising now, learning how to deal with all the rejection.
Elephant Seal mating is disturbingly violent. It is a hard life being an elephant seal.
Looking into the female’s eyes it is impossible not to feel sorry for her and her continual harassment.
For now at least, the adolescent males just look beached and confused!
Cheers to you the Piedras Blancas elephant seals~
Title quote: “Cool Hand Luke.”
cindyknoke.com 
Interesting and intriguing.
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Thank you & cheers too!
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Cheers!
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❤
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Están poniéndose el brazo por encima en plan amigable y cantando alegremente. Son graciosos 🙂
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Son animales divertidos y sorprendentes! Abrazos a ti mi amiga! ❤
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Great pictures as always, Cindy. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Pleased you enjoyed them Patricia & Happy Sunday!
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Great quote by Cool Hand Luke, Cindy, and the classic story of love spurned. I suppose its comforting in a way to know that we share this situation with the animal kingdom!! Enjoy your travels.
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Yes. Most of us cannot look back on our adolescent behavior with anything but embarrassment! 😉
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True, true. 🙂
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Aren’t they great – your photos tell an interesting story
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I am happy you enjoyed these big guys and thank you Diana~
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Hahahaha! Your commentary is awesome, as are the photos! I’ve often thought that being a female elephant seal must be one of the worst things to be. Poor things. Thanks for making me laugh, Cindy! ❤
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Thank you for making me smile with such a lovely comment and Happy Sunday my friend~ ❤
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Life as an elephant seal must be challenging. You have caught their expressions perfectly Cindy!
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I would find my own island and stay there. Forever. Course I am a human and I would like to do the exact same thing!
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❤ learning through your photos…now I know a little more about elephant seals 🙂
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It’ll be handy if you ever get asked about the mating behavior of elephant seals at a cocktail party.
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wunderschön wieder, eine gute Woche wünsche ich bei allem, was du machst
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Vielen Dank fur Ihre Nachdenklichkeit und Jubel fur Sie!
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schönen Dienstag wünsche ich
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❤ ❤
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Great photos! Everybody has to get in there two cents these days don’t they?
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You are most welcome & yes they do!
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They are funny looking animals.
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True.
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Try again another day.
Oscar
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That’s life!
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They are kinda cute, in a big way 🙂 Lovely shots, Cindy!
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Everything about them is yuge!
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I want one!!!!!! ❤
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Do you have a really BIG pool??????
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Great pics as usual Cindy. Love the way you put them in perspective with your text. Also, thanks for passing by my blog.
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Thank you and I love your photos and your blog!
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Fabulous photos, and love your captions Cindy. 🙂 ❤
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Thanks my friend, it’s a good thing I speak elephant seal.
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I know. From all your wonderful photos, many from the animal kingdom, I’m thinking you could be Dr. DoLittle 🙂 🙂
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The body language sensitivity is something I learned from 30 years of being a psychotherapist. I didn’t expect the same skill set to be so entirely useful in evaluating how and when to approach wild animals. It’s really remarkable. Maybe more psychotherapists should start taking photos of wild animals and hanging around them!
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Really, and it makes sense that if you are instinctual to human body language it could work with animals too. But I think you have a gift in that department. 🙂
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I read it with people too! It sucks at cocktail parties, makes it seem like work!!! 😉 😉
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Lolllllllll 🙂
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Wow what an amazing post Cindy – dont know how I missed it. He does look apologetic and she quite fed up – you captured their frustrations and emotions perfectly!
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They are pretty obvious! It surprises me how much emotion wild animals express through their body language. I wasn’t expecting it. They certainly have a range of feelings.
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Yes, clearly they do – take dogs for instance, they get so attached to their owners that they stop eating in their absence…it’s we who are unable to understand their language and emotions
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Exactly!
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Bonjour CINDY
Viens je t’emmène dans un monde de rêves
Viens avec moi au pays de l’amitié
Ou seul ce petit monde est loi
Un monde de paix
Il se cache au fond de ton cœur
Dans un monde de merveilles
Qui brille la nuit à l’orée du ciel
Tu y trouveras des perles rares
Celle ou nous avons été ami ou amie pour la première fois
Quelle belle histoire entre nous
C’est ainsi que le verbe aimer existe
Je t’écris ces quelques mots avec tendresse
Je te les offre du fond du cœur
Je te souhaite soit une belle soirée soit une belle journée
Bisous Bernard
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Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
Fabulous photographs by Cindy Knoke of the Peidras Blancas elephant seals… The mating game is not easy when you are a seal…
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Ah, thank you Sally. Human mating behavior can be quite problematic too, but female elephant seals have it worse~
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Not kidding Cindy.. not much opportunity to say no… xx
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It is quite disturbing to witness mating when the female clearly doesn’t want it. I avoid visiting during mating season.
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So amazing, I absolutely love your by lines! Thank you Cindy!
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Thank you more for such a lovely comment & cheers to you my friend~
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Cheers Cindy, lovely blog!
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❤
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“A failure to communicate …” can describe so many things today, lol. Who knew you can also apply it to elephant seals. 🙂
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It unfortunately is quite relevant today isn’t it!
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He looks so forlorn in that last picture 😊
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Yes,struck out once again!
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Oh, my. What a life for a female. Great photographs, though. I love the close-ups. Great for studying little details, like the eyes. Awwww. Thanks for sharing, Cindy. ❤ 🙂
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Wild animal and wild bird eyes fascinate me. They reveal sentient creatures! Cheers to you my friend~ ❤
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I do believe that the eyes are the windows of the soul. Animals have one too. I swear by my cats. ❤ ❤ ❤
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I fully agree with you! ❤ ❤
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Thank you for caring about these amazing creatures my friend and for being sensitive about the plight of the poor females~ ❤
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Haha! I enjoyed your captioning. Fabulous photos.
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I am happy you enjoyed & cheers to you my friend~ ❤
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OMG Women the world over. 🙂
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Sad isn’t it~
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There is some malevolent biology at work. Humans have to overcome it, harness, use it for better not worse.
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We need to do something that is for sure because it is getting worse.
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Wonderful series, Cindy. Your title intrigued me. 🙂
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I am glad you were intrigued and thank you for letting me know! ❤
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Great photographed.
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So happy you enjoyed & cheers to you~
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Thank you for the like Cindy. 🙂
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Reblogged this on SUSANNE LEIST.
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Thank you Cindy. 🙂
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Thank you Cindy. 🙂
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🌼🌼
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Adorable images 😊.
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Ahh, your kindness is so appreciated!
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I liked this sensitive side on the whole mating ritual of these lumbering huge elephant seals. Their eyes and “nozzles” are so precious, Cindy! ❤
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They are endearing, which is why I keep coming back to watch them!
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You have such a gentle, caring and generous spirit to check them out as well as sharing the views with those of us who may not be able to see these incredible creatures, Cindy.
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Visa versa 2UX2 my dear friend Robin & virtual hugs to you too!
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Oh, I am absorbing this warm comment and virtual hugs included, Cindy!
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