Elephant seals return to Año Nuevo State Park in CaliforniaEvery winter, about 10,000 elephant seals make their way to California’s Año Nuevo State Park, to fight, mate and give birthByHAVEN DALEY Associated PressJanuary 18, 2026, 12:07 AMPESCADERO, Calif. -- Every winter about 10,000 elephant seals make their way to California's Año Nuevo State Park to fight, mate and give birth. The spectacle runs from mid-December through March, drawing wildlife watchers eager for a glimpse of the largest seals on the planet. During what park docent Laura Stern called “pupping season,” bull seals — some reaching up to 16 feet (4.9 meters) in length and weighing up to 2.5 tons — engage in bloody battles for breeding access to the females.
