Año Nuevo State Park: Pescadero, California

 Wednesday, November 26, 2014 We spent the afternoon at Año Nuevo State Park.

We learned about the history of a nearby island once inhabited by a lighthouse keeper and his family. Seals, sea lions and birds have now reclaimed the island.

We learned about the elephant seals that gather on the mainland during the winter.

 http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1115

We hiked to South Point to view the seals. There was lots of interesting reading along the way.

Before continuing our hike to South Point, we walked along Cove Beach. On the path to Cove Beach, we saw a flash of red and blue, the San Francisco Garter Snake, as it slithered into the bushes.

                                                                Cove Beach 

As we were about to return to the main path for South Point, we noticed a surfer stop by a rock. He stood still, watching the area near the rock. A seal, likely a yearling, scurried from the rocks and returned to the water.

Near South Point is an interpretative center with a volunteer guide.  

                                                      Mainland Grizzly footprint

These photos are from North Point. Elephant Seals travel across the ocean to "haul up" on the beach for the winter.  The females birth and mate. The males battle for dominance and access to females.  Juvenile seals "haul up" with the adult seals but they do not participate in the adult activities.  During the breeding season, December 15 to March 31, daily access to the park is available only through guided walks.

This is a male elephant seal who frequently lifted his head & declared his dominance.
To hear the vocalization: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1116 (scroll to Two Males)
The guide explained that this male weighs approximately 4000 lbs-- the weight of 22 NFLers (a Bay Area reference)!

   
These photos are from North Point.

At each point, we stood on a boardwalk surrounded by a rope to view the seals. A volunteer guide watched the seals with us at South Point. His wife met visitors at North Point.  He has been volunteering for a year. She has been volunteering for 10 years. These experienced watchers shared many fascinating observations about these creatures.

Later, Jonathan and I shared the trail with the couple during our return hike to our truck.

In this building, we read about the elephant seals.

During our travels through California, J&I have encountered many unfamiliar trees. This is a pepper tree.

We drove to Santa Cruz to explore the market. These are pics of an oyster vendor.

Artichokes from the market: we steamed three whole artichokes for an hour. After removing some of the tougher leaves,  we tore off each leaf and sucked the flesh. J dipped his leaves in butter. I dipped mine in a lemon juice and olive oil dressing. The pink tipped leaves surround the heart of the artichoke.

A photo of me at our neighbours' campfire. The family treated us to 'Smores!