A massive southern elephant seal has been drawing crowds in recent days after hauling itself onto several beaches in the Pacific Coast state of Nayarit — marking the latest Mexican “vacation” for a marine wanderer nicknamed Panchito.
Tourists, vendors and residents alike watched in amazement as the seal, weighing approximately 1.5 tonnes (3,330 pounds), came ashore Tuesday at Los Ayala beach in the municipality of Compostela.
An elephant seal was spotted resting on Tuesday morning on Los Ayala beach in the municipality of Compostela, in the state of Nayarit, Western Mexico.#Mexico #Nayarit #Compostela #ElephantSeal #Wildlife pic.twitter.com/CLkg7jSA3e
— Barlaman Today (@BarlamanToday) January 28, 2026
As the massive animal sprawled out on the sand, civil crews and environmental officials quickly cordoned off the area to keep onlookers at a distance.
Since 2020, the male seal, formally known as Panchito Cortés, has been making annual round trips of more than 15,000 kilometers from his cold home waters off the southern tip of South America — a super-long journey that is highly unusual.
Mexico News Daily covered his 2024 visit to San Felipe, Baja California, where he also returned in the summer of 2025, according to news reports.
Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) generally spend most of their year at sea and come ashore periodically to rest, molt or breed, sometimes thousands of kilometers from their core range.
Panchito has also been spotted on the beaches of La Paz and Mulegé, both in the state of Baja California Sur facing the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez).
Other places he is treated as a returning VIP include beaches in Sonora and Nayarit, where he’s been this week. Communities sometimes organize 24-hour brigades to protect him.
Panchito was first seen for a few hours on Sunday on two beaches in San Blas, Nayarit, before getting back into the water and then reappearing on Tuesday on Los Ayala beach.
Onlookers were kept behind security tape as firefighters, Civil Protection and the Federal Attorney’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) monitored his condition. Authorities reported the seal was healthy and moving without difficulty.
Marine biologists can identify Panchito by distinctive markings, notably one on his chin. Five months ago, he was identified as being approximately 10 years old by the news site La Voz de la Frontera.
Officials stress that elephant seals are wild, protected animals that need quiet to rest and molt. They are urging people to stay at least 10 meters away, avoid feeding or touching the seal, respect barriers and report any problems to authorities.
Panchito is not to be confused with the much smaller Pacific harbor seals that call Baja California home.
With reports from Aristegui Noticias, El Heraldo de México, La Jornada and La Voz de la Frontera
