Año Nuevo Elephant Seals

About this spectacle

Each winter, thousands of northern elephant seals haul out along the beaches of Año Nuevo State Park on the central California coast. Visitors witness one of the most dramatic wildlife spectacles in North America: massive bulls engaging in thunderous chest-to-chest combat, blood-tinged surf, and the haunting bellowing calls that echo across the dunes. Females cluster in harems, nursing pups whose plaintive cries mix with the roar of the Pacific. The sheer bulk of adult males — scarred, battle-worn, and improbably enormous — is unforgettable up close. Outside the breeding season, juveniles and subadults continue to use the beaches for molting and resting. Docent-led walking tours bring visitors within metres of the animals on sandy trails through coastal scrub, the air heavy with salt and the unmistakable musk of hundreds of pinnipeds.

When to go

Jan — Dec, peak Dec — Feb

Getting there

Nearest airport: SFO. Nearest city: Santa Cruz.

Booking options

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