Clash of the Titans

The return of the elephant seals to our coastline is a winter highlight in California. There are many reasons to appreciate them, but one of the reasons I particularly enjoy their presence is how accessible they are for anyone starting in wildlife photography or learning about their ecosystem. When burrowing owls return, you have to really look for them, but elephant seals are a different story. Their massive size makes them difficult to miss, and they occasionally announce their presence with guttural calls. If you are interested in why they’re there or what they’re doing, their behavioral patterns are somewhat predictable, too.

As December turns into January, the action is starting to heat up. Male elephant seals are hauling themselves onto the beaches at their preferred breeding grounds and battling for the best positions. Most people will get a chance to see them laying in the sand, resting or recovering from fights, but pay enough attention, and you’ll see explosive agility from animals that look ill-equipped for it. This week, I found one particular beach area where one event unfolded.

The largest male on the beach slept close to the only female around. He didn’t seem to be paying full attention as two other males were edging in. Eventually, those two got too close to each other and ended up in conflict. One chased the other into the ocean, where they clashed, pushing each other and making loud calls in each other’s faces. The smaller of the two seemed to recognize the other’s dominance and started to flee, but the larger didn’t let things end there and pursued him at surprising speed back onto the beach.

With that dispute decided, the largest bull raised his head and roared aloud for a minute before settling down. I couldn’t help but feel like he’d been monitoring the situation all along, but with experience and confidence, he knew he didn’t need to get involved and let them exhaust themselves. Behind the scene, three juvenile seals slept soundly among a pile of driftwood. Maybe they were oblivious, but I suspect they also knew it wasn’t their fight and kept their heads down, waiting for the day they could get involved.