California elephant seal pups being born along coast
An adult elephant seal moves toward a pup on the sand along the Piedras Blancas Light Station Elephant Seal Boardwalk in Ragged Point, California, on January 2, 2023. (Photo by Stefani Reynolds / AFP) (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
POINT REYES, Calif. - Northern elephant seal pups are being born up and down the California coast over the last few weeks.
It's the start of the breeding season for the seals who "haul-out" along coastal areas from December to June.
The Marine Mammal Center has set up a live webcam at the Point Reyes National Seashore for people to watch everything from seals interacting in the water to pups being born. The seals can also be viewed in person from the Elephant Seal Overlook at Point Reyes.
Over the next few months, officials at the Marine Mammal Center said adult male seals will continue to return to the beaches, waiting for adult females to give birth.
Last season, over 1,200 pups were born along the shores of Point Reyes, officials said.