Hope you enjoy this look into elephant seals and tule elk at Point Reyes, California. The seals are here approximately January through March having babies and mating. It's absolutely fascinating to watch them. Such odd looking creatures. The males can get up to 4,500 pounds and 15 feet long - that's big! And they are loud. They are also excellent divers - reaching 1,000 to 2,000 feet and lasting close to half an hour. They range from Mexico to Alaska and Hawaii in search of food and spend 80 percent of their life in the open sea - 90 percent of that time is spent underwater: eating, sleeping, digesting and traveling.

Tule elk are found only in California and are the smallest subspecies of all American elks, with the average weight of adult males only 450 to 550 lbs. The females average 375 to 425 lbs.

I have more photos to go through, but this is a quick peak. Hope you enjoy viewing the photos.

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Young male on his own on the beach in front of a cafe and visitor center. You aren't supposed to get too close to them because they could certainly cause damage. There are signs warning of this, but then, there are people who are pretty oblivious like these people...

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walking along the beach, about to STEP ON an elephant seal.

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... but just in time, everyone else warns them and they walk around the sleeping seal (but notice his eyes have opened -- they got way too close). That would have been a National Geographic moment if they'd stepped on him.

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Photographers hoping he'll make a move.

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But he wasn't going anywhere.

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At the elephant seal lookout - had to zoom in here quite a bit.

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Mom and pup.

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On another beach, two females and pup.

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Elephant seals and their tracks on the beach.

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A face only a mother could love - young male.

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Lunch time.

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Male in the water.

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Tule elk.

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Getting amorous.

[daacon]

Very cool shots - those are amazing creatures and love the bonus Elk shots.

[sealonsf]

Very cool shots - those are amazing creatures and love the bonus Elk shots.

Thanks! I'm hoping to go see the elephant seals again this year before they leave. There's another place where you can get closer to them. The story goes that all of these current animals are descendent of only 30 animals in the past when they were killed for their blubber.

[charliezap]

A very interesting series well shot.--charliezap

[sealonsf]

A very interesting series well shot.--charliezap

Thanks! I can't wait to go see them again in a different place. We're lucky to live nearby.

[Panteg]

Great shots

[sealonsf]

Great shots

Thanks!

[slowpez]

We were lucky enough to see the young males when they arrived in October to practice their fighting techniques. Would have loved to have been there for the pups. Great series of shots. Were these at Point Reyes? We were at a beach just north of Hearst Castle. Although they had a boardwalk, you could still get close enough to get a decent shot without endangering yourself. The Tule Elk were a real treat. Love the one of the bucks sparring.