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State Park Overview |
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Fifty-five miles south of San Francisco and the Golden Gate, a low, rocky, windswept point juts out into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish maritime explorer Sebastian Vizcaino sailed by the point on January 3, 1603. His diarist and chaplain of the expedition, Father Antonio de la Ascension, named it Punta de A?uevo (New Years Point) for the day on which they sighted it in 1603.
Today, the point remains much as Vizcaino saw it from his passing ship. Lonely, undeveloped, wild. Elephant seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals come ashore to rest, mate, and give birth in the sand dunes or on the beaches and offshore islands. It is a unique and unforgettable natural spectacle that hundreds of thousands of people come to witness each year.
A?uevo State Reserve is the site of the largest mainland breeding colony in the world for the northern elephant seal, and the interpretive program has attracted increasing interest every winter for the past 19 years. People who hope to see the seals during the winter breeding season are urged to get their reservations early. The males battle for mates on the beaches and the females give birth to their pups on the dunes.
During the breeding season, December through March, daily access to the reserve is available via guided walks only. Most of the adult seals are gone by early March, leaving behind the weaned pups who remain through April. The elephant seals return to A?uevos beaches during the spring and summer months to molt and can be observed during this time through a permit system.
Visitation
This 4,000 acre Reserve is a major gathering area for northern elephant seals, which may be seen year-round. The males battle for mates on the beaches. The females give birth to their young on the dunes. During the breeding season, December 15 through March 31, daily access to the Reserve is available only via guided walks. Advance reservations are recommended for walks. |
Nature of the Area |
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More Info | |
Cascade Ranch Unit, A?uevo State Reserve California State Parks, San Mateo County Getting there From Highway 1 in San Mateo County, turn east onto Whitehouse Road (about 9 miles south of Pescadero ... | |
A?uevo State Reserve California State Parks, San Mateo County Getting there From Highway 1 in San Mateo County, turn west into the park. The entrance is 12 miles south of Pescadero Road, 3 miles ... | |
A?uevo StateReserve | History | Seal Behavior | Seal Story | Ranger Story | GO Home | The Gate A?uevo State Reserve Overview One of the many beautiful points along the San Mateo coast is A?.. | |
A?uevo State Reserve and Northern Elephant Seal Behavior Northern elephant seal harem A?uevo State Reserve. 1995 Photo by Frank S. Balthis ?1996. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction ... | |
Visitor Overview An Invitation to the Sanctuary Beaches Camping Kayaking Boating Diving 50 Ways to Get Your Feet Wet in the MBNMS Whale Watching Wildlife Images of the MBNMS Virtual Tidepool Policies ... | |
Cover ? Table of Contents ? Executive Summary ? Abstract ? Figures ? Tables Introduction ? Existing Zones ? Potential Future Zones ? Appendices ? Acknowledgements. Existing Zones. Type... | |
Contracts Departments Field Trip to Ano Nuevo State Reserve Ano Nuevo State Reserve requires reservations for the tour a ... California State ParksAno Nuevo State Reserve Virtual Park ... | |
Ano Nuevo State Reserve Policies Being a State Reserve, the elephant seal colonies on Ano Nuevo mainland and Island are protected ... are as follows 1. Ano Nuevo State Reserve is open from 8am to ... | |
A list of photographic panoramas of California outdoor sights shot by by Erik Goetze. See what its ... Santa Cruz Mountains > Virtual Ano Nuevo State Reserve viewpoints A park map is available ... |
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