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Friends of the Elephant Seal Visitor Center and Gift Shop
Driving along Highway 1 in California, close to San Simeon and four miles north of the Hearst Castle, you can see Friends of the Elephant Seal Visitor Center and Gift Shop. With over 5000 births per year, the estimated total colony size of 25,000 seals makes this site the largest mainland rookery (birthing place) for the Northern Elephant Seal species. Protected from storms and predators, with wide sandy beaches and shallow rocky areas, this location is ideal for the seals. Depending on the time of year, you can witness the birth of baby seals, hear the iconic roar of male seals during the breeding season, or watch young seals spar with each other on the beach and in the surf. Using our international travel planner, San Simeon attractions like Friends of the Elephant Seal Visitor Center and Gift Shop can form part of a personalized travel itinerary.
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Friends of the Elephant Seal Visitor Center and Gift Shop reviews
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Went in December. Many males lying on the beach, some females, some cute seals. Heavy croud of onlookers. Hard to get a decent view without waiting. Still a must-see for anyone in this area. more »
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What an unplanned but awesome addition to our trip. We started seeing signs for a seal viewing area traveling along the PCH and decided to pull over. It felt like a special gift to see these animals..... more »
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Had a great visit
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Thousands of lazy seals. Babies in the spring! A fun but loud and a bit smelly stop.
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