Young elephant seals are arriving at SLO County beaches. How can you tell them apart?

Every day, more young elephant seals arrive at the Piedras Blancas rookery north of San Simeon. They are here for the annual haul-out.

Hundreds of the youngsters sleep on the beach and spar with each other, on the sand and in the water.

You can tell a lot about the massive marine mammals by observing their size, nose development, scars and identification tags and marks.

Which elephant seal is which?

Bigger elephant seals are older seals, but the smallest may be the young of the year – last year’s pups returning from their first migration.

We offer a big welcome back for those that survived!

Most of the juvenile seals are males.

Although half of pups born are male and half are female, females mature faster. Some are pregnant by 2 years old, and nearly all are pregnant by age 4

They have already joined the adult herd, so there are more males among the juveniles on the beach now.

Males start growing that distinctive nose when they are about five. It continues to grow throughout their lives.

Compare nose size among the young seals on the sand to determine their relative ages.

Migratory seals

Most young seals don’t have many scars, but they may have tags or dyed identification numbers.

This presents a citizen science opportunity.

Report any identifying marks to Friends of the Elephant Seal docents, or go to the group’s website, elephantseal.org, to submit a report.

Reports of marked and tagged seals tell the researchers who marked them where the seals are now and how far they’ve traveled.

You can compare the migration of juveniles and adult seals on the maps at UC Santa Cruz’s Beltran Lab.

Seals differ in their migratory timing. Some juveniles don’t return in the fall at all.

Because elephant seals are always coming and going, every day is different at the viewpoint in northern San Luis Obispo County.

Each seal is gradually adjusting when to arrive and depart.

As the seals mature, they will coordinate their migrations with the rest of the adults, and join the breeding herd in December.

Seeking San Simeon Cove winter guides

Friends of the Elephant Seal is recruiting volunteers for special duty at San Simeon Cove from

December through March. That’s elephant seal breeding season.

Although the Piedras Blancas rookery is the main local breeding area, subdominant bulls that are chased off those beaches often come to San Simeon Cove to rest and recuperate from their battle wounds.

That can present a problem when human visitors and their dogs come to the beach. Visitors don’t expect to share the beach with two-ton seals.

Friends of the Elephant Seal’s trained winter guides help keep everyone safe by advising visitors how to navigate around the seals.

It’s a teachable moment for the public to learn about the wildlife with whom we share the world.

The bull seals aren’t aggressive toward beachgoers, but they can be dangerous.

Visitors need to keep their dogs from annoying the seals, and stay well back. Seals may challenge each other or decide to return to the ocean without warning to visitors strolling down the beach.

Friends of the Elephant Seal trains volunteers to educate the public and help everyone enjoy visiting the beach.

Join them by applying online by Oct. 16 at elephantseal.org/become-a-docent Questions? Call 805-924-1628.

Volunteers must be 18 or older and be able to commit to two four-hour shifts a month, December through March.

We’re looking for people who are friendly, outgoing and able to stand for three to four hours and walk on the beach in a variety of weather conditions.

“This is a great opportunity to learn more about elephant seal behavior in a unique environment,” FES board president Kathy Curtis said in a news release. “Seasonal residents, weekend travelers, couples, students and full-time employees are encouraged to apply for this short-term volunteer experience.”