...pregnant females begin to arrive on the beach a little after mid-December with the first birth shortly before Christmas. Birthing peaks in mid-January with over 50 births a day on the beaches adjacent to the parking lot. The new pups have a shiny black coat and are often quite active. Indeed, with non-dominant bulls trying to invade the harems; mothers defending their section of the beach from encroachment by other females, pups, and even the big males; and the pups screaming for milk or misplaced mothers, the scene is the noisiest and most active of the year.

To see the Piedras Blancas elephant seals yourself, check out Friends of the Elephant Seal online. (Want to see them from the safety and warmth of your own home? The Año Nuevo State Park and Animal Reserve has installed a high-definition Sealcam!)

---

Political pull helped fix Scouts' dam problem
Seth Rosenfeld, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Boy Scouts of America's Monterey Bay Area Council operated a summer dam on a pristine river and - despite official warnings - allegedly killed federally protected steelhead trout downstream.

And when state and federal regulators sought to have the council stop using the dam, Scout executives turned to politicians to whom they had given campaign contributions or with whom they had personal ties.

The Scout council avoided fines and quietly secured a favorable settlement agreement that, until now, has obscured a full account of their conduct at Camp Pico Blanco on the Little Sur River, north of the rugged Big Sur coast.

In interviews, Scout officials said they followed the rules in using the dam to create a lake for summertime swimming and boating. They denied seeking special treatment from regulators. More->>

Google In the News Search