WHERE THAT POSITIVE TEST WAS CONFIRMED JUST YESTERDAY.. RESEARCHERS DESCRIBING IT AS THE EARLY STAGES OF AN OUTBREAK.. THE BIGGEST DRAW AT ANO NUEVO STATE PARK NOW OFF LIMITS TO ALL VISITORS.. AFTER ELEPHANT SEALS TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE AVIAN FLU.. PARK RANGERS MADE THE DECISION TO CANCEL ALL TOURS AND ACCESS TO THE ELEPHANT SEALS AFTER 7 PUPS TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE BIRD FLU.. RESEARCHERS SAY IT’S THE FIRST CONFIRMED CASES OF A CALIFORNIA MARINE MAMMAL TESTING POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS.. DURING A VIRTUAL NEWS CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY RESEARCHERS CONFIRMED THE EARLY STAGES OF A BIRD FLU OUTBREAK AMONG THE LARGE MAMMALS AT ANO NUEVO.. WHILE ONLY SEVEN PUPS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE ANOTHER 30 ELEPHANT SEALS HAVE BEEN FOUND DEAD.. MORE THAN TWO DOZEN ARE SHOWING SIGNS ASSOCIATED WITH AVIAN FLU THE THE NEUROLOGICAL SIGNS REPORTED INCLUDE TREMORS, WHOLE BODY SHAKING, AND CONVULSIONS AND SEIZURE ACTIVITY HAVE ROUGHLY 3-THOUSAND ELEPHANT SEALS DESCEND ON ANO NUEVO DURING BREEDING SEASON.. WHICH RUNS THROUGH THE END OF MARCH.. A SIMILAR OUTBREAK KILLED MORE THAN 17-THOUSAND ELEPHANT SEALS TWO YEARS AGO IN ARGENTINA.. A TEAM OF RESEARCHERS NOW CLOSELY MONITORNING THE SITUATION, HOPING THE OUTBREAK DOESNT SPREAD. THERE THERE ARE SOME ANTI-BODIES THEY HAVE JUST AS YOU MIGHT HAVE TO THE FLU WHEN YOU GET THE FLU EVERY YEAR SO OUR HOPE IS THESE ANIMALS MAY BE ABLE TO FIGHT OFF THE VIRUS AND IT WON’T HAVE A BACK HERE AT ANO NUEVO STATE PARK.. THE PARK REMAINS OPEN TO VISITORS.. BUT ALL TOURS TO THE ELEPHANT SEALS HAVE NOW BEEN CANCELLED THROUGH THE END OF NEXT MONTH.. THAT DECISION IMPACTING MORE THAN 43-HUNDRED TICKET HOLDERS.. AT ANO NUEVO STATE PARK.. FE
Elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Park test positive for avian flu
Updated: 6:38 PM PST Feb 25, 2026
Researchers have confirmed the first cases of avian flu in California marine mammals, specifically elephant seals at Ano Nuevo State Park in San Mateo County, prompting the cancellation of tours to the seals.The park’s biggest attraction, the elephant seals, is now off-limits to all visitors after seven pups tested positive for the avian flu. Park rangers decided to cancel all tours and access to the elephant seals. “During the breeding season, we have about 30,000 people who come to check out the animals,” a park docent, Tom Halderman, said.The decision to cancel tours was made due to safety concerns. “There’s a high likelihood that it’s unsafe for people to be out here because we have this avian influenza highly pathogenic that is a concern. And so it’s a concern with our animals, with our birds, but also with the general public. So, you know, we just can’t take the chance, period,” Halderman said.During a virtual news conference on Wednesday, researchers confirmed the early stages of a bird flu outbreak among the large mammals at Año Nuevo. While only seven pups have tested positive, another 30 elephant seals have been found dead, and more than two dozen are showing signs associated with avian flu. “The neurological signs reported include tremors, whole body shaking, and convulsions and seizure activity have also been reported,” Megan Moriarty, a UCSC researcher, said.Approximately 3,000 elephant seals descend on Ano Nuevo during the breeding season, which runs through the end of March. A similar outbreak killed more than 17,000 elephant seals two years ago in Argentina. A team of researchers is now closely monitoring the situation, hoping the outbreak doesn’t spread. “There are some antibodies they have just as you might have to the flu when you get the flu every year so our hope is these animals may be able to fight off the virus and it won’t have a huge mortality event,” Deborah Fauquier, a veterinary medical officer for NOAA, said.The park remains open to visitors, but all tours to the elephant seals have been canceled through the end of next month, affecting more than 4,300 ticket holders.
PESCADERO, Calif. —
Researchers have confirmed the first cases of avian flu in California marine mammals, specifically elephant seals at Ano Nuevo State Park in San Mateo County, prompting the cancellation of tours to the seals.
The park’s biggest attraction, the elephant seals, is now off-limits to all visitors after seven pups tested positive for the avian flu. Park rangers decided to cancel all tours and access to the elephant seals.
“During the breeding season, we have about 30,000 people who come to check out the animals,” a park docent, Tom Halderman, said.
The decision to cancel tours was made due to safety concerns.
“There’s a high likelihood that it’s unsafe for people to be out here because we have this avian influenza highly pathogenic that is a concern. And so it’s a concern with our animals, with our birds, but also with the general public. So, you know, we just can’t take the chance, period,” Halderman said.
During a virtual news conference on Wednesday, researchers confirmed the early stages of a bird flu outbreak among the large mammals at Año Nuevo.
While only seven pups have tested positive, another 30 elephant seals have been found dead, and more than two dozen are showing signs associated with avian flu.
“The neurological signs reported include tremors, whole body shaking, and convulsions and seizure activity have also been reported,” Megan Moriarty, a UCSC researcher, said.
Approximately 3,000 elephant seals descend on Ano Nuevo during the breeding season, which runs through the end of March. A similar outbreak killed more than 17,000 elephant seals two years ago in Argentina.
A team of researchers is now closely monitoring the situation, hoping the outbreak doesn’t spread.
“There are some antibodies they have just as you might have to the flu when you get the flu every year so our hope is these animals may be able to fight off the virus and it won’t have a huge mortality event,” Deborah Fauquier, a veterinary medical officer for NOAA, said.
The park remains open to visitors, but all tours to the elephant seals have been canceled through the end of next month, affecting more than 4,300 ticket holders.