Elephant seals in Antarctica are a fantastic sight to behold on any trip to Antarctica and one of the region’s most distinctive and recognisable species. One in every of our favorite species is the Elephant Seal, listed below are some enjoyable information about these magnificent creatures and the atmosphere 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 5 tonnes and measure as much as six and a half metres! Elephant seal babies when born weigh round 50 kilograms. Within 3 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 feminine Elephant seal is 9 months. Elephant seals are extremely social animals and form massive teams or harems for a month through the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst 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 up to 2000m deep stuffed elephants and can 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 times the burden of reproductive females. Elephant seals will be found across the Antarctic area, however are most prevalent across the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They had been hunted for their blubber through the sealing days. Solely 2 - 3 % of male Elephant seals truly breed. London alone used 20,000 tonnes of elephant seal oil to light town a year. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic diversity, so there are nonetheless concerns over the future of those animals. Nonetheless, from a small group of animals left, there are actually an estimated inhabitants 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 a part of their range.. Large sharks. Leopard seals have also been recognized to attack and kill stray younger. They are called elephant seals because of numerous reasons, partly because of their dimension and likewise partly due to 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 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, but keep your distance - regardless of their size they can transfer quick on land, and are extremely aggressive when defending their territory and young. Typically they don't seem to be afraid of man, nevertheless if disturbed while resting, reproducing or marking territory they can be a different proposition. Keep clear as per most wildlife you encounter in your cruise. Regardless of as soon as being on the endangered record, due to the safety of the Antarctic treaty, the Southern Elephant seal is now not in any fast hazard. Thanks to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this together. Nevertheless, 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 skilled 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.
