Elephant Seals at Ano Nuevo

We went to see the Elephant Seals at Ano Nuevo this weekend, a state reserve in San Mateo county that is home to the largest breeding colony of the Elephant Seals. They are only here for 3 months to mate. During that time, the males establish a dominance hierarchy and build their harems, and spend the rest of the time fending off other suitors or mating. A male shown in the picture, the longer the "elephant trunk", the older the seal. Also the scars on his chest show some of the wounds of battle.