Elephant seal pups line the beach at Piedras Blancas

Northern elephant seals beach by the thousands in areas located about 4 miles north from Hearst Castle along Highway 1. On a warm and beautiful Saturday, hundreds of people watch the elephant seals bask in the sun from the safety of a viewing boardwalk. Pups squeal, toss sand and sleep as huge males vie for dominance to protect their “harem.”

“The northern elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris, is an extraordinary marine mammal,” according to ElephantSeal.org, the Friends of the Elephant Seal website. “It spends eight to 10 months a year in the open ocean, diving 1,000 to 5,800 feet deep for periods of 15 minutes to two hours, and migrating thousands of miles, twice a year, to its land-based rookery for birthing, breeding, molting and rest. Piedras Blancas is a great place to view these remarkable creatures during their time onshore.”

This story was originally published February 29, 2016 at 4:43 AM with the headline "Elephant seal pups line the beach at Piedras Blancas."