Elephant seals in Antarctica are a fantastic sight to behold on any journey to Antarctica and one of many region’s most distinctive and recognisable species. One in every of our favorite species is the Elephant Seal, listed below are some fun details about these magnificent creatures and the setting they inhabit. An Antarctic cruise is an icy safari, with many different 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 as much as six and a half metres! Elephant seal babies when born weigh round 50 kilograms. Within three months they are going to weigh 150kg! Pups are typically born from September to October when their mothers come ashore at their berthing beaches around the continent. The gestation interval for a female Elephant seal is 9 months. Elephant seals are extremely social animals and type massive groups or harems for a month during the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the biggest carnivores on the earth eating squid and fish as the primary sources of food in their food regimen, and have been measured diving up to up to 2000m deep and may hold breath for up to two hours! Sexual dimorphism is a bodily distinction between the male and female of a species. Males may be up to 10 instances the load of reproductive females. Elephant seals might be discovered across the Antarctic area, however are most prevalent around the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They had been hunted for his or her blubber through the sealing days. Only 2 - 3 % of male Elephant seals truly breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to light the city a 12 months. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic range, so there are still issues over the long run of these animals. Nevertheless, from a small group of animals left, there are actually an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 which live primarily around the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their fundamental predator is the Orca, and within the northern most a part of their vary.. Large sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been identified to assault and kill stray young. They are referred to as elephant seals because of plenty of reasons, partly due to their measurement and in addition 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 volume 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 dimension they can move fast on land, and are highly aggressive when defending their territory and younger. Generally they aren't afraid of man, however if disturbed whereas resting, reproducing or marking territory they are often a unique proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter on your cruise. Despite as soon as being on the endangered list, because of the protection of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is now not in any instant danger. Because of Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this white elephant stuffed animals collectively. However, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human actions might 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 number one professional on Elephant seals and their behaviour. Dr. Mikolaj is a local of Poland, and was base commander of the Polish base on the Antarctic Peninsula for a number of seasons.
