Live Beach Cam

South Beach, Piedras Blancas Rookery

North Beach, Piedras Blancas Rookery

OUR LIVE STREAM IS OUT OF ORDER. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Please access the LIVE STREAM on the State Park Video Gallery. The links are here:

South beach

North beach

DEBRIS ON BEACH:  A large piece of marine debris has landed on the south beach (blue item next to runoff) . It is too heavy to move and does not appear to pose any threat to the seals in the area.  No need to notify anyone, our State Park staff is on it and will monitor.

VIEWING TIPS:  Not seeing a live video stream?  Try refreshing or restarting your browser. If that doesn’t work, clear your cache or browser memory.

If you are witnessing harassment of an elephant seal anywhere in the rookery or any human activity of concern on the live stream, please call State Park Dispatch: 805-927-2068.  As always, thanks for checking on the seals! 

Want to learn more about what you’re seeing now?

As the winter birthing and breeding season comes to an end at the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, the beaches are crowded with weaned pups, called weanlings. These adorable boys and girls are resting, playing and learning to swim before they head out to sea on their first migration.  Learn all about this important developmental phase for these young elephant seals by watching: Weanlings: A Virtual Field Trip on our YouTube channel.

Can’t get enough of these precious boys and girls?  Check out an amazing interactive online display, featuring photos taken by FES docents and summarizing the scientific evidence of the milestones that these youngsters meet before they leave on their first migration. Watching those Weanlings: On the Beach with the Friends of the Elephant Seal.

You can visit the Friends of the Elephant Seal YouTube Channel to see videos about the Winter Birthing and Breeding Season in 14 languages!  Choose from English, Spanish, Mandarin, Chinese Traditional,  Danish, Dutch, Filipino, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Italian, Portuguese and Russian!

Planning a visit? Check What’s Happening Now to catch up arrivals and departures from the rookery beaches each month. 


About The Seals

About Elephant Seals

Seals on the sand

The northern elephant seal is the second largest seal in the world, after the southern elephant seal. Much more agile in their ocean environment, an elephant seal moves on land with considerable effort, by using its front flippers and belly. Adult males are 14 to 16 feet (4 to 5 m) in length and 4,000 to 5,000 pounds (1,400 to 2,300 kg) in weight. The females are much smaller at about 9 to 12 feet (2.5 to 4 m) in length and weigh 900 to 1,800 pounds (400 to 800 kg). Pups are 3 to 4 feet (1 m) long at birth and weigh about 70 pounds (32 kg).

What's Happening On The Beach?

Month by Month at the rookery

The number of seals at the rookery peaks three times during the year: in late January when most births have occurred, around the first of May at the peak of the juvenile/adult female molt, and in late October during the fall or juvenile haul-out. The annual cycle begins in November with the arrival of mature males at the end of the month.

Why Elephant Seals Are Awesome

Fun Facts

  • Elephant seals take their name from the large proboscis of the adult male (bull), which resembles an elephant’s trunk.
  • Male elephant seals weigh as much as a small truck or cargo van.
  • Elephant seals are shielded from extreme cold more by their blubber than by fur.

Get the Latest News & Updates

Donate

Friends of the Elephant Seal is a 501(c) (3) non- profit corporation, relying on grants, sponsorships, memberships and your donations. Your charitable contribution supports our programs.

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Be among the first to receive updates, photos, events and more about the Piedras Blancas northern elephant seal colony. The Friends of the Elephant Seal does not share your personal information with outside advertisers or other organizations.

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Follow Friends of the Elephant Seal on our social channels for up-to-the-minute updates and images from the rookery.

Friends of the Elephant Seal is a cooperating association with California State Parks.

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