A day at the Beach

What a crazy week it has been. Obligations other than nature photography exist and at times we are required to fulfill those. Last week was no different. Going into the week I foresaw only one day to get out and about. Wednesday. I hadn’t yet been up to see the Northern Elephant seals at the Piedras Blancas rookery and it was about time. Only a 30-40 minute drive I would arrive around 9:00 A.M. after dropping the kids off at school. So I packed all the equipment, kids and a snack and headed out. First stop school then points north.

I arrived at my destination, not the over crowded super packed elephant seal viewing area that everyone else goes to but, a smaller less known beach. A beach where I could breathe in the warm smell of Elephant seal all to myself. The light was still pretty good though I knew my time was limited. There were a few translucent clouds in the sky acting as a great diffuser but sooner than later I knew the light would turn harsh.

Well, now there is nothing more exciting than watching a 1-ton elephant seal snore except watching about two dozen of the great behemoths snore. Patience I told myself, waiting is part of nature photography. So, I waited. And I waited, and I waited. Then it happened, one moved! I steadied the camera, checked my settings, my heart started to race, something amazing was about to happen…then it closed its eyes and began to snore again. We were getting nowhere fast.

Down the beach a ways I notice seagulls gathering. Hmmmm this could be interesting. A very large female elephant seal let out a rather large bellow. She clamored up the beach, something trailing behind her, something slimy, something that the seagulls were very interested in. Then it (the slimy thing) let out a cry of its own. Birth. Well, I missed it. But I wasn’t going to miss the bonding moments that followed.

As the new mother slowly progressed up to the beach, she called out to her newborn pup, the pup responded. Despite the seagulls tugging at the still attached umbilicus, it slowly made it’s way to its mother. Briefly they touched noses in an act of recognition and then the pup moved in to nurse. Now, isn’t this is what Nature photography is all about?

Startled, I turned rapidly to the left. From out in the water, came a great bellow, a loud roar, almost a snort of sorts. Someone wanted to come a shore. From the shoreline a similar roar echoed back a challenge. This wasn’t going to be easy task and someone was going to have to give. A young male elephant seal pressed himself towards the beachhead. Another young male on the beach moved towards the surf. There was going to be a battle. They met at the waters edge, snorting and vocalizing they sized each other up. Then with a speed not thought possible in such a large animal, they clashed. Nipping, biting and cutting each other’s scarred flesh about the neck. They battled for the supremacy.

It didn’t last nearly as long as I’d hope. The bull on the beach gave way, turned tail and began to run, chased by the newcomer. Finally ashore, the interloper found its place among the many and rested. After a short while it too began to snore with the occasional flipping of sand onto its back to act as a sunscreen in the warm rays of the sun.

The clouds from earlier in the morning had burned off and the suns harsh light began to beat down upon the sand. Too much contrast between the light colored sand and the dark skin of the Northern Elephant seals; it was time to wave good-bye. Good-bye to the harbor seals mounted on their rocks out in the ocean, good-bye to the snoozing Elephant Seals, Good-bye to the seagulls waiting to clean up the next birth.