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SamTrans > News Archive - 2003 > SamTrans Offers Trips to Visit Elephant Seals at Aņo Nuevo
SamTrans Offers Trips to Visit Elephant Seals at Aņo Nuevo
Each year, from December through March, Aņo Nuevo State Reserve is transformed into
one of nature's largest maternity rooms, as more than 2,000 elephant seal pups are
born on the rocky point. Nature's show is currently underway and SamTrans holds some
of the few remaining weekend tickets to experience it.
The public can visit the state reserve and view the seals and their pups, but only on
naturalist-guided tours available by reservation only. Although the park system's
weekend reservations for the popular outing are mostly sold out, SamTrans still has
weekend spaces available for its service, which includes round-trip transportation to
the reserve and a reservation for the three-mile guided walk. The tickets are $12.
SamTrans offers two trips on Saturdays and Sundays departing at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.
The service is available through Feb. 24, including President's Day, Feb. 17 (10 a.m.
only). SamTrans departs from two locations for this special service: Hillsdale
Shopping Center in San Mateo and Albertson's shopping center in Half Moon Bay.
Elephant seals, so named because of their large size and because the males have long
pendulous noses, have been returning to the 4,000 acre reserve area for more than 40
years. As of January 21, census takers counted 600 males, 1,680 females, 918 pups and
23 "weaners." Weaners are pups that have been weaned by their mothers who leave them
to learn to eat and swim on their own.
The two-and-a-half hour walk is conducted rain or shine. The entire trip, including
the ride to the reserve, takes approximately six-and-one-half hours. Individuals
traveling to the reserve in a private car cannot use tickets purchased from SamTrans.
For more information or to request a reservation form, call the SamTrans Aņo Nuevo
hotline at (650) 508-6441 or (TDD only 650-508-6448).
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