Here is an animation showing the 3D dive path of an elephant

seal traveling through Monterey Bay on the way back to Año

Nuevo.  The colors represent the amount of oxygen remaining

throughout the dives (warm colors = more oxygen).

Data courtesy of Dr. Jessica Meir.

Questions and Answers...

Q:  Do you know what creature in the elephant
seal diet causes their poop to be orange?

A:  Surprisingly, it's actually not from any prey item.
The seals don't eat much during the last week or two
of their migration, so most of the contents of the gut
are expelled before the seals even reach land.  The
color is thought to be from the continual processing
of red blood cells throughout the fast.  The red/orange
color is derived from the hemoglobin pigment.  Each
red blood cell has a relatively short life, so they are
constantly being replenished... and elephant seals
have a LOT of red blood cells!

The New York Times

Check out this New York Times article highlighting our recent work.

First female elephant seal returned to Año Nuevo Island

Satellite track of a seal during her long post-molt migration.
She swam over 10,000 km in total!

A view from Año Nuevo Island!

Looking north from the boardwalk over the habitat restoration area.

Scientific Papers Now Available!

Click Here to access scientific papers published by the scientists working at Año Nuevo.

        

Bill Henry's Moss Landing Marine Labs Class Field Trip

Students learn how to track an elephant seal using a VHF receiver.

The class poses for a group photo at north point