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photo by Donald Kinney
Of course, obvious question is; "how close to that Elephant Seal w-a-s I ?", followed by a chorus of; "well, that was w-a-y too close"...
In any case, I was only 20 or 30 feet away with a long lens, but I swear I wasn't out looking for Elephant Seals that day--my intention was to explore the old Coast Guard buildings in the area of Chimney Rock and I just happened to stumble on this adorable creature with the soulful eyes who was t-r-y-i-n-g to enjoy a peaceful afternoon.
Okay, y-e-s, there were some stern signs warning me to stay out of the area, and I know that the Federal Government comes down pretty hard on those who don't follow her rules--hey I have no excuses for my behavior. After all, as the signs pointed out--close contact with humans puts a lot of stress on Elephant Seals which can interrupt their desire to mate for the replenishment of their species.
This seal didn't seem too concerned about my presence, though. But I do realize that, signs or not--I really shouldn't have been where I was. It is only by pure luck, I suppose, that I am telling y-o-u all of this, instead of a federal court judge.
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photo by Donald Kinney
The first photo was made in January of 2013, and this photo (above) was made in May of 2010, and the only rule I was breaking here is that I was probably m-u-c-h too close to the edge of the unstable cliff. Oh, I usually try to be careful, but there is not much I can do about my s-t-u-p-i-d-i-t-y...
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photo by Donald Kinney
Well yes, what an odd looking animal. Sort of like a cross between a horse and a deer, I think. Taken December 2012.
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photo by Donald Kinney
Taken December 2010. Tule Elk were well on their way towards extinction until 1978 when the federal government established a fenced refuge for them to Tomales Point at the northern tip of the Point Reyes peninsula in a last ditch effort to repopulate the species. Until the mid-1800s vast herds of these noble creatures roamed California valleys and grasslands. You only have to use your imagination as to what (hunting) and who (man) brought these beautiful animals to the brink of extinction.
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photo by Donald Kinney
Taken December 2010. Like the Elephant Seals, it is best to keep distance from Tule Elk. Reportedly they can be quite unpredictable. That is historic Pierce Point Dairy in the background. I have done numerous posts on the old dairy over the years.
4 comments:
I'm enjoying these animal shots. I knew about the elk, but didn't know there were breeding elephant seals on Point Reyes.
Yeah, ZOOMIE, they call these places rookeries. Another place this takes place is down the coast at Ano Nuevo beach. (((since I am an old bachelor my knowledge of breeding is somewhat limited)))
I have been to ano Nuevo to see them, just didn't know I could have seen them closer to home.
Hi ZOOMIE -- You know, I've never been into Ano Neuvo where they have the elephant seal tours, even though I've been up and down HighwayOne a billion times to visit my parents who lived in Pacific Grove. I understand reservations are required and space is limited on the tours. I've gotta check into it.
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