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. Considered one of our favorite species is the Elephant Seal, listed below are some enjoyable info 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 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 babies when born weigh around 50 kilograms. Inside 3 months they will 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 extremely social animals and kind large groups or harems for a month in the course of the breeding season. Elephants seals are amongst the largest carnivores on the earth eating squid and fish as the main sources of meals in their eating regimen, and have been measured diving up to up to 2000m deep and may hold breath for up to two hours! Sexual dimorphism is a bodily distinction between the male and female of a species. Males could also be up to 10 occasions the weight of reproductive females. Elephant seals can be discovered throughout the Antarctic region, however are most prevalent around the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. They had been hunted for his or her 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 gentle the city a year. These animals have grown from a small group of animals, and do lack genetic variety, so https://just6fdesignlivingroomforchildrenblog1776.wordpress.com/2022/08/19/10-information-about-elephant-seals-chimu-adventures-weblog/ there are still concerns over the future of these animals. Nonetheless, from a small group of animals left, there at the moment are an estimated population of 150,000 which stay primarily 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 part of their range.. Giant sharks. Leopard seals have additionally been recognized to attack and kill stray young. They're known as elephant seals because of quite a few causes, partly due to their dimension and in addition 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. 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 highly aggressive when defending their territory and young. Usually 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 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 quick hazard. Thanks to Dr Mikolaj Golachowski for helping put this collectively. Nevertheless, over-fishing of Antarctic waters and human actions might in the future see some points with their native habitat. Dr. Miko was a lecturer on-board our final 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.
