After near extinction in the early 20th century, the northern elephant seals returned to Point Reyes in the early 1970s. According to the National Park Service s most recent estimate, their winter population along the seashore is about 2,000.
Elephant seals are not known to attack humans, unless they are surprised or approached too closely, the park service said.
People are advised to stay at least 100 feet away from the seals. Any change in elephant seal behavior caused by a person is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the park service said.
Drakes Beach in front of the Ken Patrick Visitor Center is temporarily closed due to a large number of male elephant seals. Beach access will be restored as soon as the males move elsewhere. That could be tomorrow, a week from now, or longer. Check back here for up-to-date info. pic.twitter.com/zEPlVVRDOb Point Reyes NPS (@PointReyesNPS) January 14, 2021