Elephant seals in a protected cove, not far from San Simeon, are on the beach during their 'molting' period---stranded by nature---for they can't feed until their new coats are renewed! Since they are the largest of the seals, it takes a lot of food but, fortunately, they are great swimmers and divers and can dive to 5000 ft depths for food!!---far deeper than most any other of their kind.