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 among our favorite species is the Elephant Seal, listed here are some fun info about these magnificent creatures and the atmosphere 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 grownup 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 around 50 kilograms. Inside 3 months they'll weigh 150kg! Pups are usually 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 highly social animals and type large 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 food of their food regimen, and have been measured diving as much as up to 2000m deep and might hold breath for up to two hours! Sexual dimorphism is a physical distinction between the male and female of a species. Males may be up to 10 times the load of reproductive females. Elephant seals may be found throughout the Antarctic region, but are most prevalent across the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They had been hunted for his or her blubber throughout the sealing days. Only 2 - three % of male Elephant seals truly breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to light the city a year. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic diversity, so there are still concerns over the longer term of these animals. Nevertheless, from a small group of animals left, there at the moment are an estimated population of 150,000 which dwell mainly around the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their important predator is the Orca, and in the northern most part of their white elephant stuffed animals range.. Massive sharks. Leopard seals have also been identified to attack and kill stray young. They're referred to as elephant seals due to plenty of reasons, partly because of their dimension and also 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 volume of the sound is a demonstration to others how highly effective 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. Enjoy the majestic Elephant seal on a cruise to Antarctica, however keep your distance - despite their dimension they'll transfer fast on land, and are extremely aggressive when protecting their territory and young. Usually they are not afraid of man, however if disturbed while resting, reproducing or marking territory they can be a distinct proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter in your cruise. Despite as soon as being on the endangered record, because of the protection of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is no longer in any immediate hazard. Because of Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this together. Nonetheless, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human actions could sooner or later 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 skilled 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 several seasons.
