The Chinese New Year—the Year of the Rooster—follows the new moon of Jan. 28. Morning high tides have brought up tremendous amounts of debris, along with northern elephant seals, at Drakes Beach. The seals nap and linger before moving toward the larger colonies at the Headlands. Let them rest after their long swims in icy water, and only observe them from a distance.
As storms poured water into local watersheds, fast-moving flows affected seal and…