Breeding elephant seals at San Simeon

Huge elephant seals come to the central California coast every winter to give birth to their young. They nurse the pups for about 4 weeks and then are ready to breed again. The 4,000 pound males lie on the beach seemingly asleep but keep a close eye on their harums. Often they fight each other for breeding rights. Their weight limits their mobility on land and gives them a clumsy appearance but they can be quite dangerous. The State has had to fence off many miles of the hiway near Hearst Castle to keep these behemoths off the pavement.