Stock Photos of Piedras Blancas, San Simeon

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A bull elephant seal forceably mates (copulates) with a much smaller female, often biting her into submission and using his weight to keep her from fleeing. Males may up to 5000 lbs, triple the size of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
A bull elephant seal forceably mates (copulates) with a much smaller female, often biting her into submission and using his weight to keep her from fleeing. Males may up to 5000 lbs, triple the size of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Elephant seal pup nurses. The pup will nurse for 27 days, when the mother stops lactating and returns to the sea. The pup will stay on the beach 12 more weeks until it becomes hungry and begins to forage for food, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California
An adult male elephant seal rests on a wet beach. He displays the enormous proboscis characteristic of male elephant seals as well as considerable scarring on his neck from fighting with other males for territory. Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
An adult male elephant seal rests on a sandy beach. He shows the enormous proboscis characteristic of male elephant seals, as well as considerable scarring on his neck from fighting with other males for territory. Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
An adult male elephant seal rests on a wet beach. He displays the enormous proboscis characteristic of male elephant seals as well as considerable scarring on his neck from fighting with other males for territory. Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
A bull elephant seal forceably mates (copulates) with a much smaller female, often biting her into submission and using his weight to keep her from fleeing. Males may up to 5000 lbs, triple the size of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Bull elephant seal, adult male, bellowing. Its huge proboscis is characteristic of male elephant seals. Scarring from combat with other males. Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Having just given birth moments before, a mother elephant seal barks at seagulls that are feasting on the placenta and birth tissues. The pup is unharmed; the interaction is a common one between elephant seals and gulls. Winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Male elephant seal rears up on its foreflippers and bellows to intimidate other males and to survey its beach territory. Winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight for territory and harems of females. Bull elephant seals will haul out and fight from December through March, nearly fasting the entire time as they maintain their territory and harem. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California
Male elephant seal rears up on its foreflippers and bellows to intimidate other males and to survey its beach territory. Winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
This bull elephant seal, an old adult male, shows extreme scarring on his chest and proboscis from many winters fighting other males for territory and rights to a harem of females, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California
Elephant seals crowd a sand beach at the Piedras Blancas rookery near San Simeon, Mirounga angustirostris
Mother elephant seal and her pup. The pup will nurse for 27 days, when the mother stops lactating and returns to the sea. The pup will stay on the beach 12 more weeks until it becomes hungry and begins to forage for food, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California
An enormous male elephant seal dwarfs a tiny pup. The bull is not interested in the pup and will typically ignore the pup, but the bull will not hesitate to run the pup over as it moves through the crowd on the beach, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California
Mother elephant seal and her pup. The pup will nurse for 27 days, when the mother stops lactating and returns to the sea. The pup will stay on the beach 12 more weeks until it becomes hungry and begins to forage for food, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California
Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight for territory and harems of females. Bull elephant seals will haul out and fight from December through March, nearly fasting the entire time as they maintain their territory and harem. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California
Partially obscured by coastal morning fog, this male elephant seal rears up on its foreflippers and bellows to intimidate other males and to survey its beach territory. Winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
A bull elephant seal rears up on his foreflippers, surverying his beach territory. He displays scarring on his chest and proboscis from fighting other males for territory and rights to a harem of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight for territory and harems of females. Bull elephant seals will haul out and fight from December through March, nearly fasting the entire time as they maintain their territory and harem. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight for territory and harems of females. Bull elephant seals will haul out and fight from December through March, nearly fasting the entire time as they maintain their territory and harem. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Male elephant seals (bulls) rear up on their foreflippers and fight for territory and harems of females. Bull elephant seals will haul out and fight from December through March, nearly fasting the entire time as they maintain their territory and harem. They bite and tear at each other on the neck and shoulders, drawing blood and creating scars on the tough hides. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Female elephant seals fight for space on the beach for themselves and their pups, and fend off other females who may try to steal their pups. The fights among females are less intense than those among bulls but are no less important in determining the social hierarchy of the rookery. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Female elephant seals fight for space on the beach for themselves and their pups, and fend off other females who may try to steal their pups. The fights among females are less intense than those among bulls but are no less important in determining the social hierarchy of the rookery. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Female elephant seals fight for space on the beach for themselves and their pups, and fend off other females who may try to steal their pups. The fights among females are less intense than those among bulls but are no less important in determining the social hierarchy of the rookery. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Female elephant seals fight for space on the beach for themselves and their pups, and fend off other females who may try to steal their pups. The fights among females are less intense than those among bulls but are no less important in determining the social hierarchy of the rookery. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Elephant seals in the surf, showing extreme dimorphism, males (5000 lb) are triple the size of females (1700 lb). Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Elephant seal adult male emerges from the ocean, hauling himself up on the sandy beach to rest at the rookery. Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
Bull elephant seal in surf, adult male, bellowing. Its huge proboscis is characteristic of male elephant seals. Scarring from combat with other males. Central California, Mirounga angustirostris, Piedras Blancas, San Simeon
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All photographs copyright © Phillip Colla / Oceanlight.com, all rights reserved worldwide.