Anyone been attacked by an elephant seal?

[John Kasaian]

They are all over the central California coastline. The major beeding grounds are fenced off but here are dozens of beaches where these critters sun and they will actually pose for you if you're respectful (and keep your distance as the Fish and Game laws mandate, and btw, which your olfactory senses will inevitably dictate as Elephant Seals do not use Right Guard!)

However...

Elephant Seals are on the beach for a reason, driven by nature and it stands to reason that a Bull Elephant Seal could mistake a geek behind a tripod, covered with a focusing cloth and a bellows "snout" up front (trying to capture the coy smile of an Annette Funicello beach baby Elephant Seal) as a suitor challenging his harem. In which case it wouldn't be 'love at first sight."

So out of curiosity's sake, has anyone here ever been charged by an Elephant Seal while photographin' these lil' darlins?

[Dave Aharonian]

I'm way to scared of these guys to get close enough to be chased. A few years back I had one chase me when I paddled my kayak too close to the rock they were hauled out on. It swam behind me for a few minutes, barked at me, then left me alone. If I was to shoot these guys I'd haul out the 35mm gear and a HUGE tele lens!

[Robert Oliver]

I used to photograph elephant seals at a beach near Gorda that had them before the colony established itself at Piedras Blancas near the road. At that time, the only colony I knew of was at Ano Nuevo.

I was doing a shoot with for the newspaper I was working for at the time. To get to the main colony at Gorda, you had to walk VERY close to the "bachelors" on a beach to the north of the main colony.

One of the young bulls raised his heads and gave me some snorts, but then quickly forgot about me and went back to sleep.

They move pretty quickly for their size and I wouldn't want to get caught under one. Be very aware of your surroundings in case you have to make a quick exit. Make sure you aren't running into another elephant seal if you are trying to escape. Just like shooting football, make sure there is nobody or nothing behind you in case you have to make a hasty retreat.

If I remember right, there is a very hefty fine for disturbing marine mammals. There are plenty of photo ops at Piedras Blancas that would limit needs to disturb some of the non-DFG controlled colonies.

[Vaughn]

I shared a sunrise on a beach in New Zealand (North Island) with a huge Southern Elephant Seal. Nice guy. He just laid there and occasionally flipped some more sand on himself. I just tried to stay up wind (he stank!). I was about 15 feet or so away -- got a couple shots of him on the 4x5. This would have been 23 years ago. Talking to the locals afterwards, they said he just showed up one day in the small bay and hung around -- all the school kids were taken down to check him out. Definitely a different situation than dealing with a colony and males guarding females and all that.

On the same trip, I go a bit of a scare on the South Island in a seal rookery on the west coast (just south of Westport). I was climbing up a rock and came face-to-face with a regular sized seal. Scared both of us. I was about two feet away and remember two things -- the size of its teeth and the fishy breath!

Vaughn

[Anthony Lewis]

Vaughn,
That happened to my family and myself a few years ago in the same place as you describe on the south Is of NZ. They were pretty scary, but I suspect harmless, however we and they took off in opposite directions.

[Bruce Barlow]

I backed off quickly when one raised his head to look at me askance. After all, it was his beach, not mine. Somewhere in California when I was young and spry. Got the picture, but I don't have a signed release from him.

In another case, much longer ago, we were both drunk at a college party. She was a female, I think. Once again, I backed off quickly. This one was scarier.

[John Kasaian]

In another case, much longer ago, we were both drunk at a college party. She was a female, I think. Once again, I backed off quickly. This one was scarier.

Co-ed Elephant Seals??

[Paul Kierstead]

Well, in the bizarre forum topic titles, this one is leading the way.

LF can be more stressful then some other methods, especially if you lean towards the control freak (i.e. me). The whole head under the covers thing. I find in situations where I might be unhappy with the demeanor of the locals, having a shooting buddy (aka my girlfriend) really makes it a more relaxed (and controlled) situation.

[Wallace_Billingham]

I have had Black Bears sneak up on me when I have been out shooting before, but we don't have seals in the hills of Western PA :-)

[dazedgonebye]

I've had problems with rattlesnakes, coyotes and javalina...but never elephant seals.
Try a dryer climate.