10 Info About Elephant Seals - Chimu Adventures Weblog

Elephant seals in Antarctica are a incredible sight to behold on any trip to Antarctica and one of the region’s most unique and recognisable species. One among our favourite species is the Elephant Seal, listed here are some enjoyable details about these magnificent creatures and the environment they inhabit. An Antarctic cruise is an icy safari, with many various species of animals to observe. Females are smaller and weigh round 7 - 800 kg. An adult male Elephant seal can weigh up to 5 tonnes and measure up to six and a half metres! Elephant seal infants when born weigh around 50 kilograms. Within 3 months they are going to weigh 150kg! Pups are usually born from September to October when their mothers come ashore at their berthing beaches around the continent. The gestation period for a feminine Elephant seal is 9 months. Elephant seals are extremely social animals and form giant teams or harems for a month during the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the largest carnivores on this planet eating squid and fish as the primary sources of meals of their weight loss stuffed animal program, and have been measured diving as much as up to 2000m deep and may hold breath for up to two hours! Sexual dimorphism is a physical distinction between the male and feminine of a species. Males could also be up to 10 instances the load of reproductive females. Elephant seals may be discovered throughout the Antarctic region, but are most prevalent around the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They have been hunted for their blubber during the sealing days. Only 2 - three % of male Elephant seals really breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to gentle town a 12 months. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic variety, so there are nonetheless issues over the long run of those animals. Nonetheless, from a small group of animals left, there are actually an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 which live mainly across the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their primary predator is the Orca, and in the northern most a part of their vary.. Massive sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been recognized to assault and kill stray young. They are called elephant seals on account of quite a lot of causes, partly due to their dimension and likewise partly because of the male snout or trunk that inflates to impress and intimidate rivals when competing with other males for his harem. The depth and quantity of the sound is a demonstration to others how powerful he's, and thus so avoids fights with competing males. The trunk is inflated with air which is inhaled and thus a loud bellowing sound is produced. Enjoy the majestic Elephant seal on a cruise to Antarctica, but keep your distance - despite their size they can transfer quick on land, and are extremely aggressive when defending their territory and young. Generally they aren't afraid of man, nevertheless if disturbed while resting, reproducing or marking territory they are often a special proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter in your cruise. Regardless of as soon as being on the endangered listing, because of the safety of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is now not in any speedy danger. Due to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this together. Nonetheless, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human activities may in the future see some issues with their native habitat. Dr. Miko was a lecturer on-board our last PinkTarctica Antarctic expedition to the Peninsula and is a leading knowledgeable on Elephant seals and their behaviour. Dr. Mikolaj is a native of Poland, and was base commander of the Polish base on the Antarctic Peninsula for a number of seasons.