10 Info About Elephant Seals - Chimu Adventures Weblog

1. Elephant seals in Antarctica are a unbelievable sight to behold on any trip to Antarctica and one of many region’s most unique and recognisable species. One of our favorite species is the Elephant Seal, here are some enjoyable info 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 around 7 - 800 kg. An grownup 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. Inside 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 across the continent. The gestation interval for a feminine Elephant seal is 9 months. Elephant seals are extremely social animals and kind giant teams or harems for a month during the breeding season. Elephants seals are among the biggest carnivores on the planet consuming squid and fish as the principle sources of food in their weight-reduction plan, and have been measured diving as much as as much as 2000m deep and can hold breath for up to 2 hours! Sexual dimorphism is a physical distinction between the male and female of a species. Males may be up to ten instances the weight of reproductive females. Elephant seals might be discovered across the Antarctic area, but are most prevalent across the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They had been hunted for their blubber through the sealing days. Solely 2 - three % of male Elephant seals really 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 nonetheless concerns over the future of those animals. However, from a small group of animals left, there at the moment are an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 which dwell primarily around the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their principal predator is the Orca, and in the northern most a part of their vary.. Giant sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been known to assault and kill stray young. They're called elephant seals because of plenty of reasons, partly due to their size and likewise fxstat.com/en/user/profile/inbardpbof-457381/blog/37147108-10-Facts-About-Elephant-Seals---Chimu- Adventures-Weblog 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 is, 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. Benefit from 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 protecting their territory and younger. Generally they don't seem to be afraid of man, nonetheless if disturbed while resting, reproducing or marking territory they can be a different proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter on your cruise. Regardless of as soon as being on the endangered checklist, because of the safety of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is not in any speedy danger. Due to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this together. However, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human activities 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 native of Poland, and was base commander of the Polish base on the Antarctic Peninsula for a number of seasons.