Elephant seal pups weather SLO County storms — and migration is next

California’s coast has been pummeled by storms this winter.

Yet the elephant seal pups born during this year’s breeding season continue to mature and develop. As they do, they leave the rookery north of San Simeon on their first migration.

Heavy rains and high tides have dramatically changed the shoreline.

The north beach at the Piedras Blancas viewpoint has lost a lot of its sand. Few mothers raised pups on that beach this season.

Much sand was washed off the south beach, too, and water gushing from the culvert carved a deep channel.

Look for roly-poly pups at SLO County beaches

Fat weaned pups, known as weaners or weanlings, appear not to take much notice of the rough weather.

Their blubber insulates them from cold and wet. They find a spot among their peers and settle into sleep.

Look for roly-poly seals.

Most have molted their black birth coats, although you may see some still peeling.

After they have molted, they have the counter-shaded coat of mature seals, dark on the back and light on the belly.

With no scars or marks marring their coats, the young seals look perfect.

Older seals’ skins tell the story of predators at sea and battles on land.

Young elephant seals socialize in groups called pods. You can see the youngsters lying close to the base of the cliffs, or across the beach where they can avoid any adult seal mating or fighting.

They take to the surf to practice holding their breath, swimming and diving. They have strong instincts, but need practice to polish their skills.

They need to stay under water long enough to catch food, and dive deep enough to avoid predators.

How elephant seals turn blubber into muscle

These weaners haven’t had anything to eat since their mothers left. They metabolize their blubber until they begin catching their own food.

They take this time on the beach to exercise, turning some of that blubber into muscle. They are more likely to be in the water at night, but you may see them splashing around during the day.

Their life deep in the ocean will require them to hunt in the dark depths. No one teaches them how to hunt. Although most survive on the beach, only half will survive that first migration.

Few adult seals on shore

Few if any female seals remain on the beach. They have left after nursing their pups for a month or so and mating with one or more bulls on the way back to the ocean.

After not eating for the entire birth and nursing time, the females are at their physiological low point.

It’s time to get back in their ocean home and feed to build up some blubber.

They will return in April and May for the annual molt. They lose their old skin, replacing it with new skin underneath, once a year.

A few bulls sleep on the beach.

They, too, are at their thinnest. They may have gone more than three months without food.

That’s the price of eternal vigilance for a beachmaster.

What do to if you find a stranded seal

Underweight and exhausted weaners may be stranded on local beaches.

If you see one on the beach, you can report it to the Marine Mammal Center’s 24-hour hotline, 415-289-SEAL.

The center will send out a team to evaluate the seal and rescue it if necessary.