The Elephant Seal Viewing Area is located 4 miles north of the Hearst Castle at these GPS coordinates: 35° 39' 48" N and 121° 15' 28" W. The site is open to the public 365 days a year and there is no charge for visiting. Docents(in blue jackets)are onsite to answer visitor questions daily. In addition, the organization has a Visitor Center and Gift Shop at 250 San Simeon Ave, Suite 3B in San Simeon, CA, offering unique elephant seal and marine life-themed gifts and souvenirs, located 7.2 miles south of the Elephant Seal Viewing Area. The Friends of the Elephant Seal (FES)is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating people about elephant seals and other marine life and to teaching stewardship for the ocean off this special place, the central coast of California. The elephant seal colony at Piedras Blancas (near San Simeon) has undergone phenomenal growth. From the first seals, who graced the beach with their presence on a late November morning in 1990, we have seen the colony grow to around 25,000 with over 5000 pups born each year. Since 1997, Friends of the Elephant Seal volunteer docents have been at the vista point overlooking the colony, helping visitors understand these marine mammals. The elephant seals, who seem to lead such an idyllic beach bum lifestyle, actually place more demands on their bodies than almost any animal on earth. Our goal is that with a full knowledge of the natural history of the seals, each visitor will leave with a greater appreciation of these amazing creatures and a greater respect for wildlife in general.
