Friends Of The Elephant Seal

Friends of the Elephant Seal is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, dedicated to educating people about elephant seals and other marine life and to teaching stewardship for the ocean off the central coast of California. As a local organization with a global reach in providing educational, scientific, historic and scenic opportunities, we foster safe and respectful viewing of elephant seals and marine life along the Central Coast of California. The elephant seal colony at Point Piedras Blancas, 7.8 miles north of San Simeon, California has experienced phenomenal growth in less than 30 years. Since the first pup was born in February, 1992, the colony has grown to an estimated 25,000 elephant seals along an 8+-mile stretch of coastline. Friends of the Elephant Seal serves an important function in assisting federal and state wildlife agencies in the protection of elephant seals and in promoting safe and responsible wildlife viewing practices. We are proud to be a cooperating association with California State Parks and to work closely with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Marine Mammal Center, and the Piedras Blancas Light Station Association. University collaborators include California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; University of California, Santa Cruz and Pepperdine University. Friends of the Elephant Seal docents at the Elephant Seal Viewing Area answer questions and help visitors get the most from their viewing experience 365 days a year. Eight miles to the south, at 250 San Simeon Ave, our Elephant Seal Visitor Center provides both educational exhibits and unique elephant seal-themed gifts and souvenirs from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM daily. Public safety and respect for the seals are prime considerations. Outreach programs extend our reach through a speakers bureau, school programs, internships, community science projects and a variety of online resources. Our live beach cam streams can be viewed at https://elephantseal.org/live-view/