Wildlife Viewing in San Simeon

Home to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Hearst San Simeon State Park, San Simeon is the perfect spot to observe wildlife in their element.

Hike along family-friendly coastal bluff trails with lookout points to view seabirds and marine life, explore nature up close at tidepools full of life and observe the elephant seals at the Piedras Blancas Rookery. Fully immerse yourself in the peaceful landscape of San Simeon, and experience nature like never before.

In order to best view wildlife in San Simeon, head out at dawn or dusk, conduct research on what signs to look for if searching for specific animals and remain patient while looking for wildlife. Remember to respect nature, and always keep a safe distance from wildlife.

Pack a water, grab your binoculars and head out to explore!

The Piedras Blancas Rookery located off of Highway 1 in San Simeon is the only elephant seal rookery in the world that is easily accessible, free and open to the public every day of the year. The rookery hosts up to 17,000 elephant seals at peak times in January, April and October for birthing, breeding and molting, but elephant seals can be seen on the shores all year round. 

Fun Fact: The male elephant seal, called a bull, can weigh up to 5,000 pounds!

San Simeon boasts two designated Whale Trail viewing sites, one at the Cavalier Oceanfront Resort and the second on the San Simeon Bay Pier. The marine protected waters offer some of the best wildlife viewing spots in the world with 34 species of marine mammals off of the shore. Search for the heart-shaped blows of gray whales, tall dorsal fins of orcas or feeding humpback and blue whales. The best times to spot whales is when the wind and sea is calm, such as in the early morning and an hour or so before sunset.

Fun Fact: Gray whales make one of the longest annual migrations of any mammal, traveling as far as 10,000 miles.

Off the shores of San Simeon, sea otters live in kelp forests and estuary habitats part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Despite their relatively small size, being the second smallest marine mammal, sea otters can dive up to 330 feet to forage for food in the ocean. Their diet primarily consists of crabs, snails, urchins, clams, abalone and mussels. Sea otters can be seen swimming and feeding in the water all year long.

Fun Fact: Sea otters eat 25% of their body weight in food every day.

While it sounds like an unlikely sight, the coastal town of San Simeon is home to a herd of zebras. The animals were originally brought to San Simeon by William Randolph Hearst in the early 1900’s for his ranch at Hearst Castle, and remain on the land today. As you travel along Highway 1, keep your eye out for their black and white stripes east of the highway where they can be seen grazing upon the rolling hillsides that overlook the Pacific Ocean.

Fun Fact: Researchers have determined that zebras are black animals with white stripes.

As the tide recedes, seawater gets trapped amongst rocks near shore, leaving tide pools packed with sturdy sea life. Head to San Simeon Beach to look for crabs scavenging for food, saltwater mussels hiding among the rocks, vibrant starfish making their way along stretches of sandbars, or simply watch the sea anemone ebb and flow with the tide.

Fun Fact: Sea anemones are closely related to jelly fish and corals.