Photography among the car-sized Elephant Seals at Ano Nuevo state park

Elephant seals during mating season at Ano Nuevo State Nature Reserve north of Santa Cruz, California.

On a sandy beach 55 miles south of San Francisco, it takes more than a dozen roses to get the girl. There, at the Año Nuevo State Nature Reserve, 5000 lb males battle ferociously for the right to reproduce at the world’s largest mainland colony of Northern Elephant Seals.

During the breeding season, December through March, pregnant females come ashore beginning in December to have their pups. Mothers nurse their pups for about a month before mating and returning to the ocean.

The birthing, breeding and battling peaks around Valentine’s Day. Wildlife and travel photography and images are easily made of the elephant seals and pups during wildlife tours. For these images I walked with the group and was easily able to capture shots with my nikon D3 and a 70 – 200 f2.8 mm lens. If it was not raining at the time, I could have used a Nikon 200- 400 mm lens for exceptional close-up wildlife photography.

According to the park’s website, Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino first glimpsed the rugged point on New Year’s Day in 1603. His expedition diarist named it Punta de Año Nuevo, (new year in Spanish,) and it remains today nearly as rugged and wild as when Vizcaino sailed by over 400 years ago.

In order to protect the seal colony, which has grown from only 35 males in 1975 to more than 5400 animals, including 1700 pups born at present, reservations are required and all visits are guided during the breeding season.

“This is a totally unique wildlife experience less than an hour from a major metropolitan area,” said head ranger Gary Strachan. “It’s an almost African safari-like experience where you can walk among the animals.”

With a variety of lodging nearby, ranging from rustic tent-cabins to nice hotels, a youth hostle in a lighthouse, and campgrounds, this trip is a great family travel experience and destination.