Piedras Blancas Rookery, San Simeon
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Piedras Blancas Rookery - by Eddieederson on Google
Description
The Piedras Blancas Rookery is a breeding colony of elephant seals located north of San Simeon, along California's Central Coast shoreline. It is free and accessible year-round with a parking and a viewing area. Up to 17,000 elephant seals haul themselves out on the beaches of that stretch of beaches following a seasonal cycle: males fighting for territory on the beach, birthing and breeding, molting (shedding the top layer of their skin).
Access & Transport
The Elephant Seal Visitor Center and parking area are just off the Cabrillo Highway (CA-1), 7km north of San Simeon. There are other viewing points further south, heading towards Cambria.
Instructions & Recommendations
Do not go on the beach (extremely dangerous), make loud noises, or use a drone and keep your dog in leash (if you have one). In other words: be respectful of the animals. The peak season for viewing is Jan/Feb.
Environmental & Social
Educational, not (too) intrusive and minimum visitors' infrastructure - a good recipe.
Conclusion
Even for those who have already seen seals in the wild (or in San Francisco), the numbers here are just staggering and make for a very unique experience. Adults and children alike should enjoy.
Key positive
Impressive sight
Educational and environmentally friendly
Key negative
-
Suitability
Parking spaces for the disabled are close to the observation bridge. These can be reached without stairs
About this Rating
TYPE
Onsite
RESEARCHED IN
August 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:0h 30m
est. visit time:1h
Sunrise / early morningOk
MorningOk
Lunch timeOk
AfternoonOk
Sunset / eveningOk
Night – bef. midnightNo
Night – aft. midnightNo