Every winter, about 10,000 elephant seals make their way to California’s Año Nuevo State Park, to fight, mate and give birthPESCADERO, Calif. -- Every winter about 10,000 elephant seals make their way to California's Año Nuevo State Park to fight, mate and give birth. “So most elephant seals come back to the same beach where they were born. “And we have about 10,000 elephant seals that come to Año Nuevo.”Elephant seals were hunted nearly to extinction in the 1800s, sought out for their blubber, which was used to make oil. Año Nuevo State Park, about 90 minutes south of San Francisco, is one of the largest mainland breeding rookeries on the West Coast. Between April and November, no tours are needed to visit the seals at Año Nuevo State Park.

Source: ABC News January 18, 2026 14:46 UTC