A northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) flips sand onto her back on the beach at the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery near San Simeon, California. Elephant seals typically spend 9 months at sea, coming to shore only to give birth and mate, and researchers believe flipping sand onto their backs may help regulate their body temperatures while on shore. Elephant seals are named for the long snouts that male seals develop. The Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery is part of the Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve and Marine Conservation Area, managed by California.
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