Thanks for the kudos on doing a report again, guys.
Frank, we did visit Ano Nuevo many years ago. As I recall, there are not any places to camp nearby, making it easier to do a multiple day visit to this colony. BTW, hope you are staying high and dry as part of the new "island" off of California.
Monte, I'm not sure about more reports. Doing them in parts definitely helps, but they still take quite a bit of effort. We shall see.
Ted,
I echo the praises of your photos and report. Outstanding. One of my occupations was as a Diving Safety Officer [25 years]. Many times, I was privileged to freedive and SCUBA dive with a variety of pinnipeds on North coast of California, Channel Islands, Baja and the mentioned Ano Nuevo just south of San Francisco. At Ano Nuevo the elephant seals shared the water with a significant number of white sharks, their main predatory threat. At Ano Nuevo while freediving with visibility of 3-4 feet these behemoth males would effortlessly glide into view, look me over and disappear. For all their mass they are unbelievably graceful in and under the water. Night diving off the channel islands [this was in '80s and I now understand the Stellers are no longer that far South] the Steller sea lions would ‘bomb’ us trailing bioluminescence outlines while literally dancing around us. Special encounters.
Thanks for resurrecting many of these great memories with your photos!
Phil