Newborn Elephant Seal Pup with Mother at Drakes Beach
Saturday, January 24th, 2026 at 11:51:05 PM · 2026/Drakes Beach Elephant Seal Pups
This intimate wildlife photograph captures a newborn elephant seal pup, still dark with its birth coat, lying on sandy beach terrain next to what appears to be its much larger mother. The pup's coloring is distinctly darker and wetter-looking compared to the sand-covered, lighter-colored adult seal visible in the frame. The beach setting shows scattered driftwood and debris, typical of the Point Reyes coastline. The image documents the critical early bonding period between mother and pup during the elephant seal breeding season.
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