For the Ventura County Star, Zeke Barlow reports from the world's largest seal rookery, on San Miguel Island far off the Ventura County coast. The sea lions, some weighing as much as 6,000 pounds, where nearly driven to extinction a hundred years ago, but have rebounded wondrously:
"We first saw two pups here in 1986," [researcher Brent] Stewart said as he flew over nearby Santa Rosa Island to count the seals that frequent just about every sandy beach there now. "From that two in 1986, there are now 6,000 to 7,000 pups on Santa Rosa these days."
Wonderful story, and wonderful pictures too, courtesy of Juan Carlo.
Kit Stolz 