The National Park Service closed entry to the Drakes Beach area this week after storms and high tides brought 200 elephant seals ashore, making it unsafe to walk from the parking lot to the beach. POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE, Calif. - An unexpected influx of elephant seals has restricted access to a beach at Point Reyes National Seashore northwest of San Francisco. Massive elephant seals spend most of their time at sea. Males range from 14 to 16 feet (4.3 to 4.9 metres) long and weigh up to 5,000 pounds (2,268 kilograms). Females average 10 to 12 feet (3 to 3.6 metres) in length and weigh up to 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms).

Source: thestar May 23, 2019 18:00 UTC