The key to finding the seals is knowing a little about their lifestyle. To guard against California's cold water temperatures, seals maintain a thick layer of fat beneath their skin, giving them a thick sausage shape. They spend many hours during low tide hauled out on a favorite sandbar or rocky island soaking in the warm sunshine. The seals tend to hunt for fish, crabs, and shellfish during high tide. Harbor seals are the most vulnerable when out of the water and will quickly swim off if you get too close.
Harbor seals give birth to one pup in the spring.
The dark-colored pups can be born on land or in the water, and the nursing period lasts about six weeks. After nursing is complete, the adult seals mate. Pregnancy lasts nine months, but the fertilized egg does not begin to develop for three months, aligning birth dates to the same time each year. Once you spot a group of harbor seals, you can expect to see them at the same location on future visits. If the seals are watching you from their haul-out area, you're too close.