Lo and behold, there were maybe 40-50 bull elephant seals. Most were snoozing on the warm beach and a few were pretending to be very fierce and practicing their fighting skills. Actually, in July and August they come on shore to molt, i.e. they shed their skin and hair and grow new. The docent there explained that they would be too cold in the water without that layer. The females and younger males come at other, different, times. January and February is the time the pups are born and mating occurs--to the accompaniment of real fighting. The docent said perhaps 1200 pups were born there last year.
The spot is immediately off the highway just below a small bluff. The animals are close enough to observe them closely. It is a really remarkable sight/site.
