Santa Miguel is the westernmost spot in the Channel Islands, and it’s home to four species of pinnipeds – California sea lions, elephant seals, fur seals, and harbor seals. There are reportedly up to 40,000 pinnipeds that call the western point of San Miguel home, and pinniped viewing keeps Madrone’s crew entertained.
Spectacular beach at Cuyler Harbor – note the elephant seals enjoying the sun
Most of the island is a research station and is only accessible along with a guide, but boats are free to visit Cuyler Harbor on the north coast without a guide. We dropped anchor and headed into the beach for a look – our goal was to hike to the monument honoring Cabrillo, the first European to “discover” the Channel Islands.
Elephant seals flip sand onto their backs while hauled out
Because of a small swell, the only place to land the dinghy without risking a capsize in the surf was under the protection of the headland at the far western edge of the two mile long beach. The trailhead to the Cabrillo monument is in the center of the beach.
Awoken from a nap, and about to bare his teeth…
We started walking down the beach, being careful to not wake the hundreds of sleeping elephant seals hauled out on the warm sand. Before long, the beach narrowed and the seal density increased. A few sets of bared teeth combined with no room on the beach to walk around the seals meant that our plans were thwarted – Access Denied!
Some elephant seals require extra cushioning
