Nicole Teutschel at UC Santa Cruz Long Marine Lab, CA-- The beaches are looking more empty everyday because the females are coming into estrous, weaning their pups, and returning to sea. So far 18 of 23 new satellite tags have been deployed, allowing us to not only watch the beaches clear out, but the ocean come alive as we recive satellite hits from the new set of tagged seals as they swim into the North Pacific.

This season TOPP also deployed tags on "turnaround seals", these seals wore tags the last 8 months, and will continue to wear the tags until this spring when the seals return to molt. Leaving the tags on allows TOPP to follow the seals for an entire year. These seals are also a part of Jason Hassrick's whisker growth rate study. Check out the tracks!

Poppy, or 1361, is one of the turnaround seals as well as a featured seal with Elephant Seal Homecoming Days. Check out her tracks from her post molt trip, (May-January) as well as her path so far.

Poppy's tracks from her Post Molt trip, May-January. 

A closer look at Poppy's Post Molt track.

Poppy just after she returned from her Post Molt foraging trip. Photo: Nicole Teutschel

Poppy's tracks from the last couple weeks. She looks like she's headed north!

Ellie, too is one of the Homecoming Seals who will wear her tags for a whole year. 

Ellie's Post Molt track.

Another view of Ellie's track.

Ellie looking pretty sleepy this January, right after she returned from her long trip (above). Photo: Melinda Fowler.

Ellie's current path.

We will continue to follow Ellie and Poppy as they travel the North Pacific to restore their fat reserves. To learn more about Ellie, Poppy and the other featured elephant seals, check out Elephant Seal Homecoming Days.