A beloved Bay Area wildlife attraction abruptly canceled more than 600 seal tour reservations this week after California park officials discovered multiple sick and dead animals at Año Nuevo State Park.
The San Mateo County park, known for its winter gatherings of elephant seals during pupping season, paused tours as researchers investigated the sudden illnesses and deaths.
On Wednesday, California State Parks confirmed the state’s first cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, in elephant seals at the park after multiple agencies collected and tested samples. Officials say public risk is low, but people and pets should keep distance from live or dead marine mammals and report strandings to the NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region rather than handling animals.
A “small number” of adult elephant seals, weaned pups and seabirds have been affected, Adeline Yee, a spokesperson for California State Parks, told The Independent earlier in the day.
“Most seals on the beach appear healthy. Out of an abundance of caution, access is being paused to give wildlife space and allow for ongoing monitoring. Thank you for your understanding,” the Año Nuevo State Park website reads.
Tours are canceled through March 1. To date, 134 tours and 617 reservations, totaling 1,203 tickets, have been affected, including 22 schools, Yee told The Independent. Tickets, which cost $11 each, include a three-to-four-mile guided hike to view and photograph the massive two-ton animals.
Elephant seals along the California coast have their pupping season from December through March, with most pups being born in late December and January. During this time, female seals come ashore to give birth and nurse their pups for about three-to-four weeks.
Male elephant seals arrive earlier to establish breeding territories, which overlaps with the pupping period. Once the nursing period ends, the pups are weaned and must start fending for themselves, usually by late January or early February, though some pups born later may stay into March.
Biologists and wildlife experts from multiple agencies, including the University of California campuses at Santa Cruz and Davis, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and federal partners, are working to determine what caused the illness and fatalities.
Despite the suspension of guided tours, certain areas of Año Nuevo State Park remain open to the public. Visitors can still access the Marine Education Center, the Horse Barn Movie Theater and a portion of the Año Nuevo Point Trail, though viewing of the seal colony itself is restricted for now.
Full tour refunds are available through the Reserve California website or by calling 800-444-4445.
The park’s elephant seals have rebounded dramatically from near‑extinction in the late 19th century, when they were heavily hunted for their blubber, which was used to make oil. Today, populations across California is nearly 200,000, making the annual winter pupping season a must-see among tourists.
