One of nature’s more bizarre spectacles takes place annually at Año Nuevo State Reserve (8 am–dusk daily; $6 per car; 650/879-2025), where each winter hundreds of humongous northern elephant seals come ashore to give birth and mate. The males reach up to 20 feet head-to-tail, weigh as much as three tons, and have dangling proboscises that inspired their name. These blubbery creatures were hunted almost to extinction for their oil-rich flesh. In 1920, fewer than 100 were left in the world; their resurgence to a current population of more than 100,000 has proved that protection does work.
Every December, after spending the summer at sea, hordes of male elephant seals arrive here at Año Nuevo, the seals’ primary onshore rookery, ready to do battle with each other for the right to procreate. It’s an incredible show, with the bulls bellowing, barking, and biting at each other to establish dominance; the “alpha male” mates with most of the females, and the rest must wait till next year. Pups conceived the previous year are born in January, and mating goes on through March. During the mating season, ranger-led tours ($5; 800/444-4445) are the only way to see the seals; these tours are very popular, so plan ahead and try to come midweek. The 3-mile walk from the parking area to the shore is worth doing at any time of year, since it’s a very pretty scene and some of the seals are resident year-round.
The only accommodation option along this stretch of coast is two miles north of Año Nuevo at Costanoa ($30–250; 650/879-1100). A stylish retro-modern resort, open since 1999 on the inland side of Hwy-1, Costanoa has everything from a luxurious lodge to tent cabins and a campground (complete with saunas!). There’s also a very nice grocery store and small café, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.
