25th April 2009
More pictures here.
Actually this was supposed to be my waterfalls weekend at Whiskeytown. But, my car was due servicing and I was a bit paranoid about driving another 600 miles on it. I was very disappointed to miss the waterfalls trip. Got the car serviced ! I wish I had some time to do it earlier :) Ahh no worries ... there is always something to do ... You know what ? When people say 'World is small' with whatever context I feel so funny ... world is big and I like it that way ! And so I made my way to Ano Nuevo State Reserve to see Elephant Seals. The reserve is open from 8:30Am to Sunset and there is a $7 parking fee.
The best time to visit the reserve is December to March, as the males will be performing at their best to get the female attention to mate and so days will be filled with action ... Now in April, mating is over, seals are taking rest. The pups are adorable and they are sleeping shhhh !
The way these seals get into and get out of water is fun to watch.They drag their heavy bodies one foot at a time and then move with the waves. They went in chocolate brown covered with all mud and sand on them and came out black and clean. They look dark when they are wet.
Most of the seals I saw were female or juvenile. There was one young male little far way. The big nose was very prominent. Most of the pups were moulting. You see the patches of the skin missing around the eyes and back ?
The reserve is very well maintained and both view points, South Point and Beight Beach, are guarded. The gaurds answer any questions visitors have. They are there all the time watching the seals. One way of recognising them is, they were a red jacket with a smile or a grin on their face. Another way is by behavior, they do not do 'ooh ahh' 'so cute' 'look at that guy' routine or they will not be clicking photos.
The 3 miles out-and-back hike was great. The scenic coast was irresistable. I sat here on the bench to have my lunch watching the waves and rocks.
Wildflowers were at bloom everywhere. The long grass infested with wildflowers swaying with the wind, like some group dance was going on with music being the sound of wind. California poppies were mostly bright yellow here unlike the deep orange usually they are. Indian paintbrush added a red to the colorful atmosphere there.
The reserve is fantastic and worth $7 and the drive on CA-84 ! (I drove there from Sunnyvale).
0 comments:
Post a Comment