He said the guided tours will be an opportunity for visitors to witness the recovery of a once-threatened species from about 40 yards away.

Visitors can normally view the seals from an overlook at Chimney Rock, often with assistance from volunteer docents who provide binoculars and spotting scopes as well as interpretive materials.

"This is a great story about the recovery of a species," he said.

Dell'Osso said a large winter storm is forecast for this weekend and that may keep people away, but officials will decide next week if the weekend tours will continue.

Elephant seals began appearing at the seashore in the 1970s after an absence of more than 150 years. The marine mammals spend most of their lives out in the ocean but return to shore each winter to birth pups and breed and, later, in spring or summer, to molt, the Press Democrat reported.

Original Post, Jan. 30: When the government goes away, the elephant seals will play.

That's at least what happened at Point Reyes National Seashore during the government shutdown earlier this month, when no staff members were on duty to ward off a colony of the large marine mammals from congregating on a popular beach, officials said.

About 60 adult seals that have birthed 35 pups took over Drakes Beach by knocking down a fence and moving into the parking lot, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday. The seals continued lounging in the sand after the park reopened on Sunday, prompting park staff to close the beach and the road leading to it from Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.