Elephant Seals at Point Reyes National Seashore

Experience elephant seals just south of Bodega Bay at the nearby Point Reyes National Seashore. Weekends and holidays, now through April, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., docents will be stationed at the Elephant Seal Overlook near Chimney Rock, above beautiful Drakes Bay. From the Overlook you can witness the fascinating behavior of these animals, including male dominance contests, birthing of pups and the interactions of mothers and pups. You will hear the distinctive vocalizations of females, pups and the powerful trumpeting of the adult males (bulls) which can be heard for over a mile. The highly trained docents will have binoculars, spotting scopes, and a wealth of information to share with you.

To get in the mood, check out this video, created by the National Park Service's Pacific Coast Science and Learning Center as part of its 2004 "Science Behind the Scenery" DVD.



Due to the high volume of traffic out to the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock areas during the elephant seal and gray whale migration, the park will be operating a shuttle bus system from the Drakes Beach parking lot (usually from New Year's to Easter each year on weekends and holidays - weather permitting). Sir Francis Drake Boulevard from South Beach to the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock areas WILL BE CLOSED during shuttle operating hours. For more information call the Bear Valley Visitor Center at (415) 464-5100.

Many thanks to Lisa Mann at SonomaontheCheap for this lead!

Click here to read more about history of elephant seals in our area.

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