While staying in Morro Bay, Mary Lynn and I drove north to Ragged Point. Ragged Point is the beginning of the Big Sur area, which stretches 100 mile north to Monterey. Along the way we stopped at Elephant Seal Beach.
Ragged Point provides a beautiful overlook of the Pacific Ocean. About 10 miles before you get to Ragged Point you slowly start ascending as Highway 1 (the Coastal Highway) gets really ‘twisty’. Great road for a motorcycle, fun road for a car and an unusable road for an RV. At least for our 42 foot combination of RV & motorcycle carrier. Every where you look the view is spectacular.
Highway 1 is closed about five (5) miles past Ragged Point due to an earth slide. Repairs are underway however money is tight in California so it will be a while before you can continue all the way into the Big Sur area using Route 1.
Actually California’s current fiscal roads have reduced highway repairs to buying a sign (Road Out 5 miles ahead or Round Roads Next 20 miles) and hope for the best. No money to repair the roads so they just plant a sign.
The good news? Not much time wasted sitting in construction back-ups! Seriously, sections of the road in California have been worse than what we experienced in Alaska.
Elephant Seal Beach is a couple of miles of sandy beach where hundreds and hundreds of Elephant Seals can bask in the sun, protected from us. The beach is closed to us humans however there is an overlook where you can see the Elephants Seals close up without disturbing them.
Look closely at the dunes in the picture immediately above. It shows a small section of the beach where you can clearly see the beach littered with basking females and bellowing males. OK – you can’t ‘see’ the bellowing males but you can hear them load and clear when you are there…
This time of year (late spring) is when the seals are molting and replenishing their fat deposits. They shed the outer layer of skin in preparation for the mating season. Not always pretty but necessary. Check out the look of contentment on the females above: Good friends, a warm sun and a full belly. Not to mention the “fella’s” fighting over you – life is good.
The males, mostly juveniles, practicing for the ‘fight for females’ that occurs once mating season begins. A pretty big deal when only the winner gets to mate and pass on his genes.
Lots of bellowing, posturing, and body slams. From the scars visible on the older males it’s apparent the fighting gets much rougher when the mating season begins.
For now, the biting seems to be held in check but the aggression is very real. Real, except at this time of year the females largely ignore all of the ruckus. Just like a female: get the males all ‘in a frenzy’ and then ignore them...
Last rays of the day warm (mostly) sleeping elephant seals.
Piedras Blancas Lighthouse in the far distance.
Another view from Ragged Point looking South. Pictures hardly do justice to the beauty of the area.
A last look at Elephant Seal Beach…
See Ya!
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1 comments:
Beautiful area!
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