Elephant Seals in Golden Light

Three northern elephant seals lift themselves out of a few inches of water at Piedras Blancas, near San Simeon on California's central coast, with a low sun turning the wet skin along their necks and the ripples around them to amber. The animal on the right rears highest, mouth slightly open, while a smaller seal presses in against its side. A third faces them from the left, head turned, mouth open, apparently answering. Scenes like this play out at the water's edge here through much of the year, close enough to the bluff-top boardwalk that visitors can hear them.