We moved on up CA 1 to
Washburn campground in San Simeon State Park – not bad at $20 for the
‘primitive sites.’ I guess we must be
primitive people, because we loved it with the widely spaced sites and hardly
anybody there.
There were two highlights
near this stop. About 8 miles north of
the state park, is a viewpoint where you can see something truly amazing.
They like to cover themselves
in sand, but I guess they can’t do that while they’re on their backs. I hope they don’t get sunburned bellies.
They also molt, shedding a
layer of skin and hair and growing new.
They look pretty messy during this process.
They don’t waste any energy. Although every once in a while one gets the
urge to move, the energy surge doesn’t
last long.
And we laughed at how they
take the most direct route, regardless of who's in the way.
Sometimes a mild argument
breaks out, but they don’t hold a grudge.
Just look at that precious
face.
The older juvenile males (I
guess that makes them teenagers) practice sparring in preparation for the
mating battles in their future. They are just beginning to develop the large proboscis (long nose), the trademark of the male elephant seal.
You have to wonder what they
think about all the tourists. Once
again, I seem to be getting the stink eye.
The other big attraction in
the area is Hearst Castle. I had taken
the tour years ago and didn’t really want to go again, so Ron went alone. Since he didn’t take the camera, I’ll just
point you to Diana’s blog post on it.
Click here.
But I do have one related
picture. During Ron’s tour, he heard
about the animals Mr. Hearst had imported for his guests’ entertainment. He remembered that the guide said the zebras hang
out just north of San Simeon State Park and you can see them from CA 1. And sure enough, there they were. How exciting!
I love those videos! But I'd rather take a bath in water, thank you.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots of the elephant seals ... they are amazing creatures.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Jimmy Durante was an elephant seal in a previous life... ;c)
ReplyDeleteAWWW love this post with all the critters, and the zebras look great against the green pasture.
ReplyDeleteI think they are so big and fat and cute. Noisy and smelly also but still so much fun to watch. You got great pictures.
ReplyDelete