Point Reyes Beach is closed resulting from elephant seal breeding season

Drakes Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore is temporarily closed to accommodate elephant seals which have arrange camp for breeding season.

The annual ritual has brought not less than 30 men to the shore in front of the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center since Thursday, with more further down the beach, said Earl Perez-Foust, a park official.

At least 4 puppies were born near the beach lookout, Perez-Foust said. The first was spotted on December twentieth.

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“Closures are a critical way to protect both elephant seals and visitors,” Perez-Foust said. “The unpredictability of elephant seal behavior, coupled with potential impacts on their health and welfare, means that sometimes the best way to protect wildlife and visitors is to prevent the possible interaction between the two.”

Every yr, tons of of elephant seals roam Marin's beaches in the course of the winter. But until recently, the fat animals preferred the lonely, south-facing beaches of the Point Reyes Headlands. That modified within the 2018-2019 season once they began expanding their claim to not-so-remote locations like Drakes Beach.

Males typically arrive in late fall and early winter to declare their territory from which they defend pregnant females and their young.

As a result, bull elephants conserve energy by falling right into a deep sleep, where they could not breathe for six to eight minutes, based on the federal park.

Because Drakes Beach has turn out to be a well-liked breeding ground, park officials have ordered seasonal closures, which began Dec. 15 this season. The beach is closed until further notice. The fishing dock area and beaches around Chimney Rock and the southern end of South Beach are closed until March thirty first.

“If elephant seals migrate from visitor areas, closures could be adjusted accordingly,” Perez-Foust said. “However, their behavior is unpredictable, so we will always exercise caution for the health and safety of both the elephant seals and visitors.”

Perez-Foust said it was best to “current conditions” website before your visit to get the newest information on closures.

Visitors can still view the seals from a distance from the beach parking zone and the walkway near the visitor center.

The southern end of Drakes Beach, below the elephant seal viewing point, is closed all yr round.

According to the park, around 950 young animals were successfully weaned from their moms within the 2023-2024 breeding season. This compares to 1,153 in 2021, the very best ever recorded.

Adam Ratner, director of conservation on the Marine Mammal Center at Golden Gate National Recreation Area, said the subsequent two months are crucial for the young elephant seals' development.

Newborns weigh about 75 kilos and gain about 10 kilos per day in the course of the first month of life.

“Once the puppies are born, they drink a lot of milk and get really fat to prepare for independent living,” Ratner said.

Once puppies begin weaning, they enterprise into the water for brief periods of time and learn to swim and find food.

“Any puppy separated during this time can face truly life-threatening problems,” Ratner said.

Every yr, the nonprofit Marine Mammal Center rescues injured or sick juveniles. Their response is decided by calls from the general public reporting sick animals, Ratner said.

However, employees normally don’t go to the breeding areas to rescue the puppies. This would disrupt a good larger group of animals, which could cause problems for other newborns, Ratner said.

Rescued pups typically wash up on the shores of other beaches which have been faraway from their colonies, Ratner said.

Many rescued puppies generally appear to have been separated during severe storms, and the older, more independent pups show signs of difficulty finding food on their very own, Ratner said.

“The puppies we rescue weigh about 75 to 100 pounds when they should weigh close to 300 pounds,” Ratner said.

The rehabilitation process takes roughly two to 4 months for many animals before they’re returned to their natural environment.

To prevent disruptions, including separations, Ratner urges visitors to stick to lockdown and commentary rules. He recommends staying not less than 50 meters away from marine animals and using binoculars, telephoto lenses or spotting scopes to get a better view. Dogs needs to be kept on a leash and only where allowed.

Originally published: January 3, 2025 at 11:13 am PST