Elephant seals in Antarctica are a fantastic sight to behold on any journey to Antarctica and one of the region’s most distinctive and recognisable species. Considered one of our favorite species is the Elephant Seal, here are some enjoyable details 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 up to six and a half metres! Elephant seal babies when born weigh around 50 kilograms. Inside 3 months they will 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 form giant groups or harems for a month through the breeding season. Elephants seals are among the biggest carnivores on the earth consuming squid and fish as the principle sources of meals in their food plan, and have been measured diving as much as as much as 2000m deep and may hold breath for up to two hours! Sexual dimorphism is a physical distinction between the male and feminine of a species. Males may be up to ten times the load of reproductive females. Elephant seals will be discovered throughout the Antarctic area, but are most prevalent around the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They had been hunted for their blubber throughout the sealing days. Only 2 - three % of male Elephant seals actually 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 diversity, so there are nonetheless concerns over the long run of these animals. However, from a small group of animals left, there at the moment are an estimated inhabitants of 150,000 which dwell mainly around the Baja Gulf in Mexico and on the shores of Southern California, USA. Their primary predator is the Orca, and within the northern most part of their vary.. Massive sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been known to assault and kill stray young. They are known as elephant seals because of numerous reasons, partly because of their measurement and in addition 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 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. Enjoy the majestic Elephant seal on a cruise to Antarctica, but keep your distance - regardless of their measurement they'll transfer quick on land, and are highly aggressive when defending their territory and young. Usually they aren't afraid of man, nevertheless if disturbed while resting, reproducing or marking territory they are often a different proposition. Keep clear as stuffed animal per most wildlife you encounter on your cruise. Regardless of once being on the endangered record, due to the safety of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is now not in any immediate hazard. Thanks to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this collectively. However, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human activities may sooner or later see some issues with their native habitat. Dr. Miko was a lecturer on-board our final PinkTarctica Antarctic expedition to the Peninsula and is a number one expert 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.
