Elephant seals in Antarctica are a unbelievable sight to behold on any trip to Antarctica and one of the region’s most unique and recognisable species. One among our favorite species is the Elephant Seal, listed below are some fun info about these magnificent creatures and the environment they inhabit. An Antarctic cruise is an icy safari, with many alternative species of animals to observe. Females are smaller and weigh around 7 - 800 kg. An adult male Elephant seal can weigh up to five tonnes and measure as much as six and a half metres! Elephant seal babies when born elephant stuffed animal weigh round 50 kilograms. Inside three months they'll weigh 150kg! Pups are generally born from September to October when their mothers come ashore at their berthing beaches across the continent. The gestation period for a female Elephant seal is 9 months. Elephant seals are extremely social animals and kind giant groups or harems for a month during the breeding season. Elephants seals are among the largest carnivores on the planet eating squid and fish as the primary sources of food of their weight-reduction plan, and have been measured diving as much as as much as 2000m deep and can hold breath for up to two hours! Sexual dimorphism is a bodily distinction between the male and female of a species. Males could also be up to 10 occasions the weight of reproductive females. Elephant seals may be found throughout the Antarctic region, however are most prevalent around the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They have been hunted for their blubber during the sealing days. Solely 2 - three % of male Elephant seals truly breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to light the town a year. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic range, so there are nonetheless issues over the longer term of those animals. Nonetheless, from a small group of animals left, there at the moment are an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 which stay primarily around the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their predominant predator is the Orca, and within the northern most a part of their vary.. Giant sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been recognized to assault and kill stray younger. They're known as elephant seals as a consequence of various reasons, partly due to their measurement and likewise partly because of the male snout or trunk that inflates to impress and intimidate rivals when competing with different 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, however keep your distance - despite their measurement they can transfer fast on land, and are extremely aggressive when defending their territory and younger. Generally they aren't afraid of man, nonetheless if disturbed while resting, reproducing or marking territory they are often a different proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter on your cruise. Despite once being on the endangered listing, because of the protection of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is now not in any quick hazard. Due to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this collectively. 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 expert 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.
