Juvenile and adolescent northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) bask in the sun along the Central Coast of California, USA. Many can be seen flipping sand onto their bodies to protect their sensitive skin from sunburn. Adult males can reach 4 meters in length and weigh over 2, 000 kilograms. Once hunted to near-extinction, northern elephant seals now number close to 200, 000.