Ano Nuevo is state park located on Hwy 1 between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz. Each year thousands of elephant seals arrive here to have babies, find a mate, and reproduce.
I wanted to visit Ano Nuevo for many years, but each year I would remember about it during peak of the season (Jan/Feb), when it was too late to attempt to buy a tour for a weekend. Tours are sold up to 56 days in advance. And weekend tours are usually gone within a day.
While discussing with friends, when would be the best time to visit, we couldn't understand how it was possible for elephant seals to have babies in such a short period of time: they arrive in Dec, they are gone in March. On the other hand, eleven month long pregnancies didn't make sense either. Now, after the tour, I know that elephant seals have so called "delayed implantation". The egg gets fertilized but does not embed in the womb till female elephant seal safely reach her home in Alaska and get some food in her belly. Elephant seals do not eat during their trip to Ano Nuevo. Time at Ano Nuevo, it's seals' time to reproduce and rest: they don't sleep the rest of the year.
The picture usually worth a thousand words, so I'm going to post few pictures from couple hundreds I've made during the tour.

Time to rest

Those babies are already weaned

- I'm bigger!, - No, I'm bigger!

Be mine Valentine!

Babies are fed for 28 days, after that they are on their own

I like you!