Elephant seals in Antarctica are a incredible sight to behold on any trip to Antarctica and one of the region’s most distinctive and recognisable species. One in every of our white elephant stuffed animals favorite species is the Elephant Seal, here are some fun details 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 up to six and a half metres! Elephant seal infants when born weigh round 50 kilograms. Inside 3 months they'll 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 feminine Elephant seal is 9 months. Elephant seals are extremely social animals and form large groups or harems for a month through the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the largest carnivores on the planet consuming squid and fish as the primary sources of meals of their weight-reduction plan, and have been measured diving as much as as much as 2000m deep and might hold breath for up to 2 hours! Sexual dimorphism is a physical difference between the male and female of a species. Males may be up to ten instances the load of reproductive females. Elephant seals will be found across the Antarctic region, but are most prevalent across the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They have been hunted for their blubber in the course of the sealing days. Solely 2 - three % of male Elephant seals truly breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to gentle the city a yr. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic variety, so there are still concerns over the future of these animals. However, from a small group of animals left, there are actually an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 which dwell 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 also been recognized to assault and kill stray young. They are known as elephant seals resulting from numerous causes, partly due to their size 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 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 move quick on land, and are highly aggressive when protecting their territory and younger. Generally they don't seem to be afraid of man, nonetheless if disturbed whereas resting, reproducing or marking territory they are often a special 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. Thanks to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this collectively. However, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human actions could 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 knowledgeable 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.
