Ano Nuevo NP

No spiel yet...

Let us introduce you to an immature (no nose), male elephant seal. Happy chappy.

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He'll be living at Ano Nuevo National Park on the California coastline

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for the next two or so months; awiting the arrival of the females.

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Here, at the end of December 2006, the mature males are bellowing and fighting with each other

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before collapsing from exhaustion.

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And, there's a lot of exhaustion!

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When the females arrive, they'll have their pups. Then, Mr Whitey will come.

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As the bulls bellow, you can feel the noise deep in your chest.

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Oh. they may look laid back but they move pretty quickly and weigh about 8,000 pounds.

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California dreamin' material.

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Ian tried to get the Hilbert's and Melissa to walk past this seemingly sleeping giant. We weren't keen.

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He only kept his eyes shut for the photographs, and that scar tissue around his neck is from constant trysts.

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So, we left the beach. Hiked inland a bit and discovered this crazy guy in the forest

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Too many of these, obviously.

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In the past, grizzly bears roamed the mountains that flank Ano Nuevo. Give me the mad gnome any day!

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Back home at Stanford we checked out Andy Goldsworthy's "Stone River".

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That done, the Hilbert's headed home. Tat ta.

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