It is difficult to overstate just how adapted these animals are to the deep ocean. While they looked clumsy and heavy on the sand, the juveniles we watched are training to become elite divers. Research from Friends of the Elephant Seal notes that these animals average dives of 1,000 to 3,000 feet, and can reach depths exceeding 5,000 feet. Before they descend into the abyss, they actually exhale to empty their lungs, a physiological trick that prevents decompression sickness. Watching them doze in the shallow wash, it’s grounding to think about the extreme, dark places they explore for most of their lives - and it makes me value those land-based observation moments more than ever.