Three AP Environmental Science (APES) classes took the hour and a half bus ride to Año Nuevo State Park in Pescadero for an annual trip on March 16.

“The main purpose of the trip was to get students outside, apply what they’ve learned and make connections,” APES teacher Kristen Thomson said.

As part of their learning experience, the students went on a two-mile hike through the park and visited the beach to learn about the sea lions and elephant seals living there.

After a history of being hunted, northern elephant seals numbered less than 100 in 1910, but they soon experienced a rebound due to conservation efforts like Año Nuevo State Park, one of the few wildlife reservations with northern elephant seals.

“It was fun seeing all the seals up close and watching them make noises at each other,” junior Nikhil Koduri said. “Seals have really large bodies, so watching them move looked really cool.”

While there, the students studied the organisms that lived in the area such as coyotes and small deer.

“I had already learned in class that the different organisms living in similar environments help maintain a balance and usually serve a purpose,” Koduri said. “But it was really eye-opening to see it first hand at such a cool area outside the classroom.”

Additionally, students took selfies with seals, or “seal-fies,” and also learned about the sea lion life cycle, such as how sea lions travel about 5,000 miles through the ocean for six months after giving birth.

“My favorite part of the trip was getting to see the newborn sea lions up close,” junior Roy Ong said. “They were super adorable and about four to five feet long.”