Somewhere between Pismo and Monterey are the elephant seals of Piedras Blancas (white rocks - think guano). We stopped to see what was going on this month, and also to eat lunch. A chill wind was blowing (of course). There were upwards of 2,000 seals on the sands and in the water, most young females and juveniles returning to molt from feeding far out to sea. It's quite an unbelievable sight, all these large mammals lying like cord wood on the sand, in various stages of molting. Some looked like they were carrying a mouldy old blanket on their backs. Others were bright and shiny, having completed their molt. 2,000! Snorting, snoring, throwing sand on their backs (and each other), and scratching with their flippers. The young males were play-fighting in the water and testing their bellows. The smell was quite ripe, too.
For more info: http://www.elephantseal.org/
As always, click on any picture to enlarge.
We shared the drive up beautiful, rugged Hwy 1, with its heart-stopping scenery and twisty-turns, often high atop cliffs with the breakers beating on rocks hundreds of feet below. And on the other side of the highway were gently rolling hills carpeted with flowers to take your breath away, or towering mountains with their peaks lost in the clouds. Took us the better part of a day to enjoy all this. Lucky us to have the time!
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