Breeding season in Marin

 Photo: Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal

Drakes Beach: Elephant seal breeding season

by Adrian Rodriguez

Drakes Beach in the Point Reyes National Seashore is temporarily closed to accommodate elephant seals that have set up camp for the breeding season.

The annual ritual has brought at least 30 males to the shore in front of the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center as of Thursday, with more farther down the beach, said Earl Perez-Foust, a member of the park’s staff.

At least four pups have been born near the overlook area of the beach, Perez-Foust said. The first was spotted on Dec. 20.

“Closures are a critical way to protect both elephant seals and the visiting public,” Perez-Foust said. “The unpredictable nature of elephant seal behavior, coupled with potential impacts to their health and well-being, means that sometimes the best way to protect wildlife and visitors is to prevent the potential interaction between the two.”

Each year, hundreds of elephant seals fan out across Marin’s beaches for the winter pupping season. 

But until recently, the blubbery beasts preferred the secluded south-facing pocket beaches of the Point Reyes Headlands. That changed in the 2018-2019 season, when they began expanding their claim on not-so remote locales, such as Drakes Beach....