Sealcam at Ano Nuevo State Park

            "This new Sealcam will provide our visitors with a unique and extremely clear, close-up window into the world of these magnificent sea creatures," said State Parks Director Ruth Coleman.  "I am excited that HD technology and solar energy enables our visitors to get the kind of view you would only get otherwise if you were actually sitting next to these animals."

              For the first time in the history of the Reserve, live High Definition video of the Elephant Seals located on Año Nuevo Island will be displayed real-time on a large plasma screen in the Visitor Center.   The new High Definition Sealcam is located a mile and a half off shore on Año Nuevo Island in the middle of a very isolated colony of the Northern Elephant Seals.   It is necessary to have a camera, because the island is a marine reserve, a restricted-access location, that is set aside for protection of the seals and a camera is the only way for the public to view this unique natural setting. 

            Powered by green energy (a 720-watt photovoltaic solar system), the HD sealcam, with its thirty magnification zoom lens,  will provide visitors with a spectacular new way to observe the Elephant Seals as well as  the other extraordinary marine life that frequents the island.  This new video portal onto the island produces a clarity of image that is only possible using a High Definition video format.

            Año Nuevo State Park is one of the largest mainland breeding colonies in the world for the northern elephant seal, and the parks interpretive program attracts tremendous interest every winter during the Elephant Seal breeding season.  Elephant Seals have gained their name because of their large size and the long pendulous noses on the males.  The male elephant seals at the Ano Nuevo measure fourteen to sixteen feet in length and weigh up to 5,000 pounds each.

            While the northern elephant seals may be seen year-round at the reserve, the largest number of seals can be seen during their breeding season, which extends from December through March.  The huge bull elephant seals engage in violent battles on the beach to establish dominance and to take control of their "harems".   The females give birth to their young on the dunes. Most of the adult seals are gone by early March, leaving behind the weaned pups that remain through April.

            Funded by donations, the Elephant Sealcam will also provide university researchers with an exciting new opportunity to remotely monitor the nests of Pelagic Cormorants that breed on Año Nuevo Island during the summer. In addition, live video from the Elephant Sealcam will also be used 

as part of the "Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students" (PORTS) program for classroom education programs on the Elephant Seals at Año Nuevo.  (See http://www.ports.parks.ca.gov for more information about PORTS.)

            The dramatic video produced by the new Año Nuevo Elephant Sealcam will also be available on the State Park web in a lower resolution format.  To view the video remotely, go to the State Parks Web Site at:  http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=523 

             During the breeding season through March 31, daily access to the Reserve is available only via guided walks. Advance reservations are recommended for walks.  Reservations can be made by calling 800-444-4445.