Northern Elephant Seals

Winter months, is universally the best time to photograph Northern Elephant Seals.

Northern Elephant Seals come ashore during the winter months (Dec. through March) at three popular locations to mate, give birth, and to molt along the California Coast

Año Nuevo State Park, CA      Main Website      Map

Located not far from the town of Pescadero, 45 minutes north of Santa Cruz, and 1.5 hours south of San Francisco. This is a guided tour and tickets are $7 per person, children 3 years and under are free. The tours run everyday, rain or shine beginning on December 15^th and continue until March 31^st. Parking is $10 inside the park.

Piedras Blancas Rookery, CA      Main Website      Map

The main Rookery is located on HWY 1, about seven miles north of San Simenon, on the left side of the highway.   If you have gone past the lighthouse, then you have gone to far. Parking is free at the spacious parking lot, and you can view the Northern Elephant Seals just over the bluff for free, north or south of the parking lot. Knowledgeable Docents are available to answer questions.

Point Reyes National Sea Shore, CA      Main Website      Map

Elephant Seal Overlook near Chimney Rock is a great place to view these majestic wonders of the sea. Viewing is from afar, not closeup like the Piedras Blancas Rookery.

The most important is to Respect the barriers and signs that are placed around the rookery. We all want to get that great close up shot, but never at the cost of our safety, or the safety of the Elephant Seals. The females are extremely protective of their pups, and the big males are very protective of their harem, and believe it or not a large male Elephant Seal can really move pretty fast for short bursts on land if he feels threatened. Another common sense restriction is Do not Harass or throw Objects at the seals to get them to look in your direction. Northern Elephant Seals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

The weather on the California coast can vary from day to day, and can present fog, rain, wind, and sun.  It is best to keep a close eye on the forecast on the area you have chosen to visit. Bring lots of layers, and proper rain gear. As I was once told, “It is always best to have extra gear and not need it, than to need it and not have it”.

Camera: DSLR capable of manual settings
Lens: 300mm lens with a 1.4x  Teleconverter, or 400mm with Image Stabilization is preferred
400mm is ideal for the up-close facial expression shots. I choose to shoot my 400mm Image Stabilization (IS) lens, because I don’t shoot with a tripod while photographing the Elephant Seals.  I am on the move quite a bit, and  I find it at times to be difficult to get at a good angle with the fence railings and crowds. The Image stabilization on the long lenses compensate for the camera shake from hand holding it.

• 2 Canon 70D Cameras  ( I have found that bringing 2 camera bodies can cut down on changing lenses in and out.  Less chance of you getting sand and dirt in your sensors, not to mention if one of your camera bodies fails, you will have a back up.)

• Canon EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens - IS is a must if you hand-hold, 400mm for the upclose facial expressions.

• Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens - Distance shots

• 1.4X Teleconverter Extender – Backup to use with 300mm lens if 400mm lens fails

• 77mm Circular Polarized Lens Filter – fits 300mm & 400mm lenses

• Vortex Media Pro Storm Jacket Camera Cover - Medium - Extra weather protection for your camera

• SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SDXC UHS-1 Cards – Bring multiple for backup

• Several Camera Batteries

• Battery Charger

• Lens Hood

• Lens Cleaning Kit

*Note: No need to buy what you don't have - you can always RENT it!