2017 Elephant Seal Breeding Season Update February 24, 2017

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1 217 Elephant Seal Breeding Season Update February 24, 217 Weaners are dominating the colony beaches this week (at least in numbers!) as more and more pups plump up and transition to life without their mothers. Left: Milking it, a large pup continues to nurse as long as mom will tolerate. Although many pups suffered from numerous intense storms, the ones that survived appear to be generally very healthy. We ve seen many massive weaned pups this year, and even a couple we ve dubbed super weaners due to their enormous size. Top: A super weaner on Drakes Beach. Bottom: a big weaner sizes up a sub adult male. Photos by K. Richardson. NMFS Permit No

2 Famished Females Flee to Forage Generalized range of foraging and migratory grounds for males and female Northern elephant seals. These ranges depict typical behavior, however some individuals deviate from these trends. We are seeing reduced female numbers on our beaches this week as more cows finish weaning their pups and leave the coast. Once their pups are weaned, females mate with males and head out to the open ocean to their foraging grounds in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Females will return to Point Reyes to molt their old coats this April and May. Typically, females do not venture as far north as the males do when they leave to forage. Adult males head out to sea once all of the females have left in March, and do not return until June and July to molt. Top: A cow at Drakes Beach stays alert while still onshore. Bottom: South Beach harem. Photos by K. Richardson. NMFS Permit No

3 Elephant seal family portrait. Photo by J. Negreann.

4 No. Seals TOTAL SEAL COUNT Seals 216 Seals * *

5 No. Females TOTAL FEMALE COUNT Females 216 Females , * *

6 No. Pups TOTAL PUP COUNT Pups 216 Pups * *

7 No. Weaned Pups TOTAL PUPS WEANED Weaned Pups 216 Weaned Pups * *

8 No. Seals DRAKES BEACH COLONY TOTAL SEALS DB Seals 216 DB Seals *

9 No. Females DRAKES BEACH COLONY FEMALES DB Females 216 DB Females *

10 No. Pups 35 3 DB Pups 216 DB Pups *

11 No. Weaned Pups DRAKES BEACH COLONY WEANED PUPS 35 Weaned Pups Weaned Pups * 33

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