2016 Elephant Seal Breeding Season Update February 26, 2016

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1 216 Elephant Seal Breeding Season Update February 26, 216 With the peaks of pupping and mating behind the elephant seals, most of them are returning to their feeding grounds. Only 115 cows remain, compared to the 1,38 that were counted at the peak of pupping, just 3 weeks ago. In contrast, weaned pup numbers have rose to 69. A close up of a weaned pup, the most common type of elephant seal at Point Reyes right now. Photo by D. Dietrich. NMFS Permit No A male rests between fights at Drakes Beach colony, which was inhabited by 454 females at the peak of pupping, but now only has 6. Photo by D. Diedrich.

2 Tagging An important resource for elephant seal researchers are flipper tags. Tags are color coded by colony and are marked with an identification code, generally a letter followed by a number. Point Reyes tags are also drilled in a specific pattern, in case the ink wears off as the animal gets older. A close up of tag L916. Photo by D. Dietrich NMFS Permit No Flipper tags aid in the identification of an animal, and can provide information on age, movement between colonies, and other details, like if the animal has been rescued before. A weaned pup, note the pink tag on the rear flippers, which signifies that the pup was tagged here at Point Reyes. Photo by D. Dietrich.

3 Pups are tagged after they are weaned so that we do not disturb their nursing period. It also allows researchers to age the animal as it grows since we know what year they were born. Researchers prepare to tag, taking care to keep a thorough record for the database. Photo by S. Bogle. NMFS Permit No Researchers tag a group of pups. It should be noted that these researchers have been trained and given permission from the National Marine Fisheries Service to interact with these animals. Researchers must use extreme caution when getting this close to the seals, even while they are sleeping. Photo by D. Dietrich. As of this week, researchers at the park have tagged 26 animals. Their goal is to tag about 3 by the end of the season.

4 No. Seals TOTAL SEAL COUNT Seals 215 Seals

5 No. Females TOTAL FEMALE COUNT Females 215 Females

6 No. Pups TOTAL PUP COUNT Pups 215 Pups

7 No. Weaned Pups TOTAL PUPS WEANED Weaned Pups 215 Weaned Pups

8 No. Seals DRAKES BEACH COLONY TOTAL SEALS DB Seals 215 DB Seals

9 No. Females DRAKES BEACH COLONY FEMALES DB Females 215 DB Females

10 No. Pups DB Pups 215 DB Pups

11 No. Weaned Pups DRAKES BEACH COLONY WEANED PUPS Weaned Pups 215 Weaned Pups

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