First Elephant Seal Pup Of The Season Born In Marin County

POINT REYES, CA — The first northern elephant seal pup of the season was born Sunday on Drakes Beach, officials said.

The National Parks Service announced on Tuesday that the road to Drakes Beach and the parking lot will only be open while park staff and volunteers are present, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

The beach will be inaccessible, but seals are can be seen from the parking lot and Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center area during the allotted hours.

"Come on down to learn about these incredible animals! Who knows? You may even catch the special moment a new one is born," the NPS stated.

After being absent for over 150 years, northern elephant seals returned to the Point Reyes Headlands in the early 1970s, according to the NPS.

In 1981, the first breeding pair was discovered near Chimney Rock. The population grew dramatically from 1988–1993, averaging 32 percent annually.

Since 1993, the average growth rate has slowed to 8–9 percent per year. Fanning out from their initial secluded beaches, the seals have expanded to less remote beaches, including Drakes Beach adjacent to the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center after 2019, NPS stated.