A male elephant seal snoozed in a small cove at Leffingwell Point at the north end of Moonstone Beach on Tuesday, Feb. 5. This is mating season at the nearby elephant seal rookeries at San Miguel Island and Piedras Blancas and seals like this one are often chased off the beaches by more dominant males and find a place to hide out for awhile.

There are many good reasons for human beachgoers to stay away from these large male elephant seals. It is against the law to harass them; they have large, sharp teeth and strong jaws and people have been seriously hurt in the past; and marine mammals carry diseases that can be passed on to humans and dogs.