Where to See Elephant Seals in San Simeon, California: Elephant Seal Viewing Tips
Located on the stunning California coast is a special beach that elephant seals call home for a good part of the year. There are many parts of the state where you can stop to see these precious animals up close in their natural habitat but one of the best spots in California to spot elephant seals is Elephant Seal Vista Point in San Simeon, CA.
The beach sees on average 24,000 elephant seals - females, males, and their babies - rest, mate, birth, and migrate a year. There is no wonder this is such a popular attraction year-round bringing in tourists from all over the world to witness their little lives safely from an observation deck.
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How to Get to Elephant Seal Vista Point
Located right off of the Pacific Coast Highway (AKA Highway 1 or Cabrillo Highway) that runs along the central coast of California is the not-to-be-missed seal observation deck that is free to visit. You can put Elephant Seal Vista Point into your Google Maps and be taken straight there.
The best mode of transportation to the area is by car. If you are flying into a nearby city (like San Francisco, Fresno, Los Angeles, etc), then pick up a car from that location and hit the road!
Average drive times (can differ depending on traffic/road closures):
Distance from Big Sur: 1hr, 28mins
Distance from Fresno: 2hrs, 39mins
Distance from Los Angeles: 4hrs, 3mins
Distance from San Francisco: 4hrs, 7mins
Best Time of Year to See Elephant Seals in San Simeon, CA
The best time of year to visit Elephant Seal Vista Point is between December and March which is considered their birthing and mating season. We visited at the end of February and saw a beach full of elephant seals including males, females, and their pups.
All pictures in this blog are from this February trip! So yes, this timeframe is one of the best to see as many as possible.
Elephant Seal Seasonal Schedule
Seals go through a cycle of mating, resting, birthing, molting, and migrating. Here is a general breakdown of what the elephant seals are up to during what time of year:
December - March: Adult males battle for dominance in preparation for mating season. The females arrive to give birth to their pups and spend these couple of months nursing and mating again. Meanwhile, juveniles or subadults are migrating.
April - August: The adult males begin their migration now. This begins the molting season however for the females and kids. Adult males begin their molting around July/August time.
September - November: Adult males and females both migrate this time of year to return to their cycle of birthing and mating. The juveniles and subadults rest and can occasionally be found year-round resting on the beach if you are lucky.
Fun Facts About Elephant Seals
Female seals are pregnant for 7 months.
Adult males will weigh up to 5,000 pounds while females are much smaller and will only weigh 900-1200 pounds.
Pups weigh around 75 pounds when they are born.
While resting on the beach, the seals will fling sand onto their backs. It’s believed they do this to stay cool and to use the sand as sunscreen.
Females have a life expectancy of about 20 years while males only have a life expectancy of about 14.
CA.gov shares more FASCINATING facts about the elephant seal in California. Read more here.
Nearby Attractions
While in the area whether you are simply passing through on the iconic HWY 1 road trip, or made a drive all the way to San Simeon just to see the elephant seals, there is so much more to do nearby. Here are just a few ideas.
San Simeon Pier: 850 foot pier in San Simeon, CA. Drive time: about 7 minutes
Cambria, CA, and Moonstone Beach: One of my favorite little towns on the California Coast with a beautiful, lowkey beach called Moonstone Beach. Drive time: about 19 minutes
Green Valley Viewing Point: Just a short drive south and inland, you will find rolling green hills that make you mistake your location for European countryside, from a viewpoint called Green Valley Viewing Point. Drive time: about 27 minutes
McWay Falls: This famous waterfall is 80 feet tall and located in Big Sur which empties directly into the ocean. Super unique! Drive time: about 1hr 6 minutes
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park: A popular California state park along the coast known for hiking and redwoods. Drive time: about 1hr 27 minutes
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