Ocean surges from early January storms flooded Bay Area beaches at a vulnerable time for elephant seals: the start of pupping season. Storm waves overtook entire beaches, including critical birthing areas on the Point Reyes National Seashore and at Año Nuevo State Park in San Mateo County. Elephant seals spend most of the year at sea, but pregnant females have begun returning to shore to give birth to pups, who cannot swim for the first month. “This storm was particularly bad because it happened at arrival time for the females,” said Roxanne Beltran, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz. “It’s time for them to get naps, give birth. The pups weren’t ready to be battered around.” Read more at the link in our bio. 📸: @jachristian, Courtesy of UC Santa Cruz