California Park Visitors Spot Rare Purple Elephant Seal Caused by Red Algae

Visitors at California's Año Nuevo State Park were surprised to see an elephant seal with a bright purple hue, sparking various theories about its unusual color. Some experts initially speculated the coloration might result from a diet of purple sea urchins or internal bleeding. However, further investigation revealed a simpler explanation: the seal's purple color came from resting on red algae covering the beach, whose pigments stained its fur. Park officials humorously remarked that the seal looked like it had "bathed in grape juice" and emphasized that this natural phenomenon does not indicate any health problems for the animal.