On November 16th, we will pick up right where we left off!  Sunrises this time of year are not usually that great and occur around 7:30 am.  For Day 2, you get the morning (...the early morning) off and we will plan to meet at the house at 9:00 am for coffee and snacks.  The morning session we will talk about what we experienced last night, I will show you how to process and blend your images from the night before, and we will go through a little more on PhotoPills before we set out!

Elephant Seals of San Simeon

Our first stop will be the Elephant Seals of San Simeon. These ocean giants have found safety and security along the Central Coast the Piedras Blancas Rookery has one of the best displays you will find anywhere. 

Starting in November, adult male elephant seals start to arrive on the shore. Adult males will stake claim to female pupping areas on the beach. When another adult male challenges a pupping location, a fight for dominance ensues. Elephant seal bulls can reach 16 feet in length and weigh up to 5,000 pounds. Watching these enormous animals fight for dominance is quite a spectacle.

Our Own Private Cove

After spending part of our afternoon with the Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas we will head just a little further north to a relatively unknown cove I call Arroyo Hondo. We will have a 15 minute walk down into this large bay where we will be free to explore the sea stacks, sand features, and other parts of interest.

After photographing and absorbing all the beauty of the sunset in Arroyo Hondo we will head for dinner 30 minutes away in San Simeon before returning to San Luis Obispo.

Day 3 Itinerary