Seals Took over Tourist Beach in California

Elephant seals took over the Drakes beach in California during the month-long shutdown by the US government. After the shut down when the employees returned to work on the beach, they are shocked to see the invasion of the tourist beach by a large number of seals. Now the big problem is to remove the seals, as some of the elephant seals weigh as much as a car.

Some of the seals on the beach are pregnant and some are newborns too, who have taken shelter at what used to be the tourist area Point Reyes National Seashore of Drakes Beach in California. Drakes Beach, with its wide swath of sand and spectacular views of the Pacific, has always been a favorite for tourists.

On the other hand, nearby Chimney beach has already become a colony for more than 1,500 seals. The beach is protected by a 100-foot-tall cliff, so that the seals cannot harm the binocular-wearing tourists.

As the practice, the Park officials are using a low-tech method to enforce an armistice between the mammal species. They waved blue tarps to annoy the seals and drive them away from the areas, popular with the tourists. “It doesn’t scare them and it’s a standard technique used with elephant seals, This would have kept them farther away from tourists” John Dell’Osso, Chief of Interpretation and Resource Education for the seashore said.

The annoying tarps were an effective plan no doubt. But the federal government apparently does not regard the tarp-wavers as essential federal employees, so the workers who worked as tarp wavers, were among the 800,000 furloughed.

It is during that time, the high tides and storms battered the seals off their normal habitat, thus the seals showed up to the suddenly deserted Drakes Beach with friends and families. Seals give birth during the winter months and the deserted Drakes Beach appears to be an excellent place to breed and raise pups.

On 27th January, Point Reyes National Seashore put notice for the visitors that Drakes Beach and other popular locations would be reopened after the shutdown. But after four days, officials posted another notice saying, “Drakes Beach and its access road from Sir Francis Drake Boulevard are temporarily closed to all vehicle, foot, & bicycle traffic due to elephant seal activity in the area”.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also warns, “despite their sometimes docile and clumsy appearance, elephant seals can be extremely quick and sometimes vicious if humans, or their pets, get too close”.

So, for now, the seals are going to rule to beaches until they are being driven away by the authorities. But the incident also gave US President Donald Trump, a lesson no doubt, that anyone can rule if you give them ways to rule.