Many people assume that you have to visit Ano Nuevo State Reserve between December and March to see the elephant seals. That is the optimal time to see the giant pinnipeds mate and bear their young. However, some elephant seals are on the beaches all year.
This is the month to see the bull elephant seals come ashore to molt. Unlike other mammals, including humans, seals can't replace their fur and skin gradually through the year. To do that would compromise their insulation and risk hypothermia in the cold waters of the northern Pacific where they feed. Instead, they come ashore once a year to hang out at the beach and take it easy while their new skin grows back.
To see them in the summer you can walk out to the point on your own without a guide. Their will be docents on hand at the observation stations to explain what is going on. As you enter the reserve, you will be given a permit to go out beyond the staging area. Continue on the roped route to North Point, where most of the seals are hanging out. You will hear the cacophony of California sea lions and Northern fur seals on Ano Nuevo Island just offshore, and you can see them if you remembered to bring binoculars.
An extra treat is the bright yellow bush lupines in full bloom. You may be surprised by how many wildflowers are still in bloom.
TO GET THERE... Ano Nuevo State Reserve is on Highway 1 along the southern San Mateo County coast. The entrance is 23 miles south of Half Moon Bay and 19 miles north of Santa Cruz.
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