Piedras Blancas Elephant Seals
There are several beaches along the coast immediately south of Point Piedras Blancas where elephant seals congregate.
Two parking lots and several trails allow visitors a chance to observe the elephant seals from a safe distance. Often a Friends of the Elephant Seal volunteer docent will be on hand to answer questions and share information about the seals.
Piedras Blancas
Located on Highway 1, 12 miles north of Cambria
Open every day, free
Facilities: Parking lots, accessible boardwalk, interpretive signs. No restrooms and no trash recepticales.
Best months for viewing are December - March, but be prepared for stormy weather.
Best Months for Viewing Elephant Seals
The elephant seals generally make two visits each year to the rookery beaches.
- March - The last of the males leave the beach while weaned pups are teaching themselves how to swim.
- April - August - Elephant seals return to the beach to molt, beginning with females and juveniles.
- September - mid-December - Seals arrive, beginning with juveniles and younger adults, and finally bulls and females in late November and early December.
- Mid-December - February Most births occur.
- February - Births continue, making peaks around mid-February.
Piedras Blanca Regulations
- Park only in designated parking areas, not on roadway.
- Stay on the trails.
- Going on the beach is prohibited.
- Avoid loud noises or threatening motions.
- Dogs must be on leash and kept away from elephant seals
- Do not feed ground squirrels.
Friends of the Elephant Seal
Friends of the Elephant Seal volunteer docents are on hand at Piedras Blancas to assist visitors in their viewing of the elephant seals.
Friends of the Elephant Seal
(800) 444-7275
History of Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas
In 1990 there were less than two dozen elephant seals on the beaches immediately south of Point Piedras Blancas. Amazingly only a year later that number had increased to 400. Within a couple of years more than 50 pups were being born annually at the rookeries. By 1995 the number of births had jumped to 600. Scientists believe that overcrowding at other beaches forced many elephant seals to seek out new rookeries.
A year later the number doubled and the beaches along the coast were crowded with elephant seals. For a time visitors were stopping all along the highway and crowding around the elephant seals. Friends of the Elephant Seal was established in 1997 and since then they have worked to develop safe viewing and parking areas and to educate the public about the seals and other wildlife in the area.
